Beta blocker

A medication that blocks beta-adrenergic receptors, reducing the effects of adrenaline and related signals. Beta blockers are used for hypertension, heart rhythm disorders, angina, and other conditions.

Sympathetic nervous system: The part of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body during stress or exertion. Beta blockers dampen some of this system’s effects on the heart.
Hypertension: Persistently elevated arterial blood pressure that increases the risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease. Beta blockers lower blood pressure, though they are not the preferred first treatment for every patient.
Calcium channel blocker: A medication that reduces calcium entry through selected channels, affecting blood vessels or heart muscle. It can treat hypertension or angina through a different mechanism and may be preferred in some conditions.
Bradycardia: A heart rate slower than expected for a person’s age and circumstances. Excessive slowing is a direct consequence of beta blockade at the heart.
James Black: A Scottish pharmacologist who developed major drugs including propranolol and cimetidine. His work turned beta-receptor pharmacology into a practical treatment for angina.
Cardiac output: The volume of blood the heart pumps per minute. Slower heart rate and reduced pumping force can lower cardiac output.
Atrial fibrillation: A common heart rhythm disorder in which the atria beat rapidly and irregularly. Beta blockers can slow the ventricular response in many people with this arrhythmia.
ACE inhibitor: A medication that inhibits angiotensin-converting enzyme and reduces formation of angiotensin II. It lowers blood pressure without directly slowing the heart as beta blockers do.
Bronchospasm: A sudden narrowing of the airways caused by contraction of bronchial smooth muscle. Nonselective beta blockade can worsen airway narrowing, especially in susceptible patients.
Propranolol: A nonselective beta blocker that blocks both beta-1 and beta-2 receptors. Introduced in the 1960s, it became the prototype for the drug class.

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