Definition of "Beta blocker"
Beta blockers reduce blood pressure (antihypertensive) and heart rate.
Patient information
What are beta blockers?They're drugs used to reduce blood pressure, as well as heart rate.
You diferentiated blood pressure from heart rate?
Yep. You can reduce blood pressure by reducing heart rate. But you can also reduce blood pressure by other means, like causing someone to pee more, which would mean there would be less circulating blood.
Nonselective B-blockers include:
- Propranolol
Source: Vet Book
- Bucindolol
- Carteolol
- Carvedilol
- Labetalol
- Nadolol
- Oxprenolol
- Penbutolol
- Pindolol
- Sotalol
- Timolol
B1-selective blockers, which are cardioselective, include:
- Acebutolol
- Atenolol (Tenormin)
- Betaxolol
- Bisoprolol (Bicor)
- Celiprolol
- Esmolol
- Metoprolol (Lopressor)
- Nebivolol
- Block the beta adrenergic receptor, which are found, inter alia, on the cells of the heart muscle. They are the target of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which usually cause sympathetic effect. Thus, by blocking it, it reduces the heart rate
Patient information
How do beta blockers work? What is beta?So beta is referring to beta adrenergic receptors.
There is... beta and alpha? What is adrenergic?
So adrenergic are just receptors that are the target of adrenaline. And yes, it's divided into alpha and beta, alpha has specific targets like the bronchioles in the airways, as supposed to beta which is more specific for the heart.
Especially in non-cardioselective agents (i.e. not beta-1 selective), beta 2 antagonism causes:
- Bronchospasm ==> Contraindicated in Pt's w/ asthma. If bronchospasm does occur, can be treated w/ anticholinergics
- Alters glucose and lipid metabolism
Also causes:
- Nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness, dyspnea, cold extremities
- Hypotension, orthostatic hypotension, bradycardia, heart failure, heart block
- Hyperkalemia and hyponatremia
- Hypoglycemia ==> Should thus be used cautiously in diabetics. In diabetics, prefer to use ACE and ARBs, which actually decrease risk
- Alopecia (hair loss)
- Abnormal vision, hallucinations
- Sleep disturbances, e.g. insomnia, nightmares, vivid dreams
- Sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction
- Edema
- Ineffectiveness, especially in use to address alpha-adrenergic stimulant overdise (e.g. cocaine, amphetamine) ==> Contraindicated in Pt's w/ history of cocaine; rather, vasodilators, diuretics and alpha blockers should be used
- Hypertension (target)
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