Beta-Blockers
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During activity, stress or excitement, adrenaline is produced by the body to stimulate the heart and get the body ready for action. Beta-blockers work by blocking the action of adrenaline at specific receptors (beta-receptors) located on heart muscle cells. This has the effect of reducing the heart rate and the force of heart muscle contractions (particularly during activity, stress or excitement) and reducing the heart’s oxygen needs. This means that the heart does not have to work quite as hard to pump blood around the body and its own blood supply. Beta-blockers are used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), angina, heart failure, irregular heart beat (arrhythmias) and to lower the risk of a heart attack.
The type of beta-blockers used in CAD are cardioselective – this means that they act specifically on heart tissue (on areas known as beta1-receptors).
Another form of beta-blockers act specifically on lung tissue (on areas known as beta2-receptors) and are used to treat asthma and lung diseases.
Beta-blocker therapy is not suitable for all patients, as these agents can cause serious side effects of heart failure and asthma attacks in susceptible patients. More minor side effects of beta-blockers include fatigue and cold hands and feet.
