Beta-blockers are a valuable class of drugs for optimizing antihypertensive treatment, particularly in high-risk patients with specific comorbidities.
Hypertension affects approximately 50 million individuals in the United States (US) and approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. Blood pressure (BP) reduction significantly lowers the risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease-the most common cause of death in the US-yet only approximately one third of Americans with hypertension have their disease controlled to the minimum recommended level of 20/10 mm Hg above goal BP. A valuable class of drug in the management of hypertension, beta-blockers (betaB) play an important role-whether as initial agents or as add-on therapy. They are especially useful in hypertensive patients with certain comorbidities such as diabetes or heart failure, in patients post-myocardial infarction, or in those generally at high risk for coronary disease. This article explores the cardioprotective role of how betaB may be used to optimize antihypertensive treatment.
Jan Basile (Mon,) studied this question.