Getting enough sleep is very important for our health. It helps our bodies recover, keeps our minds sharp, and supports overall well-being.
But many people don’t sleep well. In the United States, about one in three adults has trouble getting enough rest each night. Poor sleep can lead to many health problems.
One thing that might affect sleep is the medicine people take. A group of medications called beta-blockers is commonly used to treat heart problems. These drugs slow down the heart and lower blood pressure, helping people with conditions like high blood pressure, chest pain, irregular heartbeats, and heart failure.
However, some people have worried that beta-blockers might cause side effects like depression, anxiety, insomnia, strange dreams, or nightmares. To find out the truth, researchers from the Berlin Institute of Health looked at many studies to see if these worries were true.
They analyzed data from over 50,000 people in 258 different studies. Most of the people in these studies were taking beta-blockers for high blood pressure. The results were surprising.
The researchers found that beta-blockers do not increase the risk of depression. People who took beta-blockers had about the same rate of depression as people who took other medicines or no medicine at all.
Also, the number of people who stopped taking beta-blockers because they felt depressed was similar to other groups. This means depression is not a common side effect of these drugs.
However, the study did find that beta-blockers can affect sleep. Some people taking these drugs had trouble sleeping, had strange dreams, or felt more tired. Even though sleep problems were reported, the main reason people stopped taking the medicine was because they felt tired, not because of the sleep issues.
These results show that beta-blockers are generally safe when it comes to mental health, but they might make sleep harder for some people. This is important for doctors and patients to think about—especially if someone already has sleep problems.
Doctors and patients should talk openly about any side effects, including how medicine might affect sleep. This can help make better choices about treatment.
The study was led by Reinhold Kreutz and published in the journal Hypertension. It gives helpful information to guide doctors and patients in managing heart conditions safely.
In short, beta-blockers help treat heart problems and do not seem to cause depression. But they may affect sleep for some people. Talking to your doctor about any sleep changes can help make sure you’re getting the best care possible.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about Middle-aged women with no kids may have this mental issue and findings of scientists find a cause of mental illnesses induced by childhood abuse.
For more about mental health, please read studies about Frequent painkiller use linked to mental health risks in these people and findings of Common depression drugs may offer new treatment for bipolar disorder.
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