Do Beta-Blockers Work? ‘Not as Much as We Thought,’ Doctors Say in New Heart Study
Surprising new research shows beta-blockers may not always help after a heart attack
Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for 100 years, according to the American Heart Association’s 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics report. For decades, beta-blockers have been a go-to prescription after a heart attack. But a new study is raising questions about whether these drugs actually deliver the lifesaving benefits once believed.
What are beta-blockers?
“Beta-blockers are medicines that help slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure by blocking adrenaline,” says Raj Dasgupta, MD, Chief Medical Advisor for Sleepopolis. “Doctors use them for a lot of things, like high blood pressure, heart rhythm issues, chest pain, heart failure, recovery after a heart attack and even non-heart problems like anxiety or migraines.”
If you currently take or have taken beta-blockers, you’ll be especially interested in new research on the medication.
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New research on beta-blockers
A new study in The New England Journal of Medicine followed more than 8,400 heart-attack survivors in Spain and Italy over four years. The results? Treatment with beta-blockers did not lower the risk of death, having another heart attack or being hospitalized overall.
“This new study shows beta-blockers may not help people with normal heart pumping function as much as we once thought,” says Dr. Dasgupta. “Heart attack care has improved a lot. Stents, statins and better overall treatment mean we’re already protecting the heart in ways we couldn’t decades ago. That may explain why beta-blockers don’t seem to add as much extra benefit now.”
Beta-blockers impact men and women differently
The study also found that women taking beta-blockers after a heart attack were more likely to be hospitalized or die, while men taking beta-blockers did not have a higher risk of hospitalization or death.
What gives? “Women may be more sensitive to side effects like low blood pressure, slow heart rate or fatigue, which can lead to more hospital visits,” explains Dr. Dasgupta. “Biological differences like body size, metabolism and how heart disease shows up in women could also play a role. It’s a reminder that one size doesn’t fit all in medicine.”
What can we take away from this research?
As doctors learn more about how medications work, they’re able to tailor treatments so they can prescribe the options that will be most useful.
“Beta-blockers used to be an automatic prescription after a heart attack, but medicine keeps moving forward,” says Dr. Dasgupta. “Now that we have better treatments, they’re not always necessary for everyone, especially if your heart is still strong.”
What to do if you’re currently taking beta-blockers
“If you are currently on beta-blockers, do not abruptly stop them,” urges Brynna Connor, MD, Healthcare Ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com. “This can be incredibly dangerous and potentially trigger rebound tachycardia and/or myocardial stress, which can lead to serious and life-threatening conditions such as heart attack, heart failure and/or stroke.”
“If you are questioning the effectiveness of your course of treatment on beta-blockers following the publication of this new research, schedule a discussion with your physician to evaluate whether or not continued use of beta-blockers is appropriate,” says Dr. Connor.
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