Think twice about beta-blockers after a heart attack

Since the 1960s, it’s been common practice for doctors to prescribe a drug known as a beta-blocker to patients recovering from a heart attack.

They’re an inexpensive medication and prevent future heart attacks. A no-brainer, right?

But, as with most things medical, time and research have proven this wisdom to be … well, not so wise after all.

Here’s why you might want to think twice and discuss with your doctor before taking beta-blockers…

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Beta-blockers may be unecessary

Beta-blockers, also called beta-adrenergic blocking agents, block the release of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline in certain parts of the body. This results in a slowing of the heart rate and reduces the force at which blood is pumped around your body.

They have been typically prescribed to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib), heart failure and angina — and heart attack.

But a new study shows that about half of heart attack patients discharged from the hospital with a prescription for beta-blockers really don’t benefit from them at all. Considering the risks associated with the drug, this is good to know…

In 2017, researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet, Lund University and Uppsala University began a study involving more than 5000 patients at 45 hospitals who had suffered a small heart attack and retained heart function.

At discharge, these patients were randomly assigned either to receive or not receive beta-blockers.

After six years, there was a statistically insignificant difference between the groups in terms of a second heart attack (7.9 percent for those taking beta-blockers vs. 8.3 percent for those not).

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Weigh the pros and cons

This study is only about the effect of starting beta-blocker treatment after a small heart attack.

Naturally, if you’ve suffered a more severe heart attack, or have ongoing issues with heart failure, medications may be necessary.

But if they’re really not going to make a difference, knowing the pros and cons could help you and your doctor decide if they’re right for you.

Here are just a few things we know:

• People using beta-blockers have been found to be 65 percent more vulnerable to heart attack during the hottest days of the year.
• In one study, taking beta-blockers raised the risk of heart failure almost five percent more in women than in men.
• Beta-blockers are one of many medications that lower levels of the essential antioxidant CoQ10. According to a lead researcher from another study from a few years ago, “… CoQ10, which is a natural and safe substance, corrects a deficiency in the body and blocks the vicious metabolic cycle in chronic heart failure called the energy-starved heart.”

And finally, beta-blockers can make you more likely to end up with a dangerous infection due to antibiotic resistance.

You should never stop taking beta-blockers, or any medication, without first speaking with your doctor.

But if your doctor is proposing a prescription for beta-blockers for a minor heart attack, it’s worth your while to discuss the pros and cons before beginning this course of medication.

Sources:

Unnecessary use of beta-blockers after a heart attack? — Science Daiyk

Beta-Blockers after Myocardial Infarction and Preserved Ejection Fraction — New England Journal of Medicine