A new study has found that long-term use of beta-blockers does not significantly affect the quality of life or well-being in patients who have had a heart attack but still have good heart function.
This research, conducted by Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University, was presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in London and published in the European Heart Journal—Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy.
Earlier this year, the REDUCE-AMI study showed that beta-blockers do not lower the risk of death or future heart problems in patients who had a heart attack but have preserved heart function.
Now, a follow-up study looked at how these drugs might impact the quality of life for this group of patients.
Beta-blockers are known to sometimes cause side effects such as depression, anxiety, sleep problems, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction.
Some patients even stop taking the medication due to concerns about these potential side effects.
On the other hand, beta-blockers can help by slowing down the heart rate and reducing the body’s adrenaline response, which might improve a patient’s sense of well-being.
This study is the first to use randomized data to show that beta-blockers do not worsen patients’ quality of life or well-being. “Previous studies suggested beta-blockers could negatively impact quality of life, but the evidence wasn’t strong. This new study confirms there’s no need to worry about this,” says Katarina Mars, the study’s lead author and a cardiologist at Södersjukhuset, Sweden.
In total, more than 4,000 patients were surveyed to assess their quality of life, and additional detailed surveys were gathered from around 800 patients to measure well-being, including depression, anxiety, and sexual function. While some data is still being collected, the early results show no significant harm to patients’ well-being from taking beta-blockers.
These findings may lead doctors to reconsider whether beta-blockers should be prescribed routinely to heart attack patients with preserved heart function.
However, patients already taking beta-blockers should not worry about any negative effects on their quality of life.
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