Are beta blockers past their sell-by date?

Beta blockers may be less effective than other blood pressure lowering medicines at preventing illness and death, new research suggests. Beta blockers were one of the most commonly prescribed blood-pressure drugs in past decades, but they fell out of favour as newer tablets which appeared to be better at reducing blood pressure became available. GPs have traditionally prescribed patients with high blood pressure with beta blockers, but experts say there are now more effective treatments available that reduce blood pressure GPs say that some patients are reluctant to move across to the newer types of treatment Despite this, GPs and cardiologists report that patients on beta blockers are often reluctant to switch. King’s College London cardiologist Professor Martin Cowie said: ‘Beta blockers have not been a first-line hypertension treatment for some time now, and newly diagnosed patients wouldn’t be put on them.