Beta blocker

Rare card · No. 61175

Beta blockers, also spelled β-blockers and also sometimes known as β-adrenergic receptor antagonists, are a class of medications predominantly used to manage abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) and to protect the heart from a second heart attack after the first one (secondary prevention). They are also used widely to treat high blood pressure, though they are no longer the first choice for initial treatment of most people. They can also be used to treat anxiety – a notable example being the situational use of propranolol to help dampen the physical symptoms of performance anxiety. Beta blockers are competitive antagonists that block the receptor sites for the endogenous catecholamines epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) on adrenergic beta receptors, of the sympathetic nervous system, which mediates the fight-or-flight response. β-adrenergic receptors are found on cells of the heart muscles, smooth muscles, airways, arteries, kidneys, and other tissues that are part...

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