A new study from Uppsala University suggests that beta blockers, commonly prescribed to heart attack patients, may not only be unnecessary for those with normal heart function but could also increase the risk of depression.
Traditionally, beta blockers have been given to all heart attack patients as they block adrenaline’s effects on the heart, helping to lower heart rate and blood pressure.
However, recent research questions the need for this drug in patients whose hearts still pump normally after a heart attack, as they may not benefit from the treatment in terms of survival or preventing future attacks.
The Swedish study, recently published in the European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care, found that patients without heart failure showed slightly higher levels of depression symptoms when treated with beta blockers.
Philip Leissner, a doctoral student in cardiac psychology and the lead author of the study, explained that these drugs do not serve a life-saving purpose for heart attack patients with normal pumping function.
Instead, they may expose these patients to unnecessary side effects, including mood changes and potential depression.
Beta blockers have long been a standard treatment for heart attack recovery, but recent advancements in heart disease treatment have led doctors to re-evaluate their benefits, especially for patients without heart failure.
Previous studies and clinical experience have hinted that beta blockers can cause side effects like depression, poor sleep, and nightmares.
The Uppsala team wanted to investigate these side effects further, especially given that a large Swedish study earlier in 2024 found that beta blockers did not significantly reduce the chances of a repeat heart attack or death in these patients.
Between 2018 and 2023, the researchers examined 806 heart attack patients with normal heart function. Half of these patients were given beta blockers, while the other half were not.
Among those who had been taking beta blockers before the study began, symptoms of depression appeared more frequently and were more severe.
Leissner believes these findings should prompt a re-evaluation of beta blocker prescriptions for heart attack patients without heart failure.
He emphasized that if beta blockers offer no direct benefit to the heart in these cases, they could lead to unnecessary side effects, including a heightened risk of depression.
In light of these results, doctors may need to reconsider prescribing beta blockers universally to heart attack patients and instead focus on more personalized treatment approaches.
This shift could help avoid potential mental health side effects for those who might not benefit from beta blockers, ultimately improving their overall quality of life.
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