Beta-Blockers Should not be the First Choice for Treatment

A number of studies published lately suggest, that Beta-blocker should not be the first drug of choice for the treatment of high blood pressure. These studies show that patients who used these drugs were at a slightly higher risk for cardiovascular disease than patients who use Calcium Channel Blockers.

A review of these studies appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.

For patients taking Beta-Blockers, the study found a 1.3 percent increase in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, compared to those taking CCB’s. Moreover, Beta-Blockers caused more side effects, which led their users to stop taking them.

Another review, published in The Lancet, claims that Beta-Blockers and Diuretics may also increase the danger for developing type-2 Diabetes.