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Use of β ‐ Adrenergic Receptor Blockers in Blacks
Author(s) -
Prisant L. Michael,
Mensah George A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1996.tb04752.x
Subject(s) - medicine , bisoprolol , myocardial infarction , adrenergic beta antagonists , cardiology , beta blocker , blood pressure , disease , heart failure , propranolol
Beta adrenergic receptor blockers (β‐blockers) are an important class of drugs in the management of patients with cardiovascular diseases. These drugs have been shown to reduce mortality in hypertension and prolong survival in patients with coronary heart disease. Although hypertension and coronary heart disease account for the majority of excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in blacks, β‐blockers continue to be underprescribed in this ethnic group. The magnitude of blood pressure reduction in black patients with hypertension has been consistently less during monotherapy with nonselective β‐blockers than with diuretics. However, the highly selective β‐blocker bisoprolol has been shown to be as effective as diuretics and is equally effective in black and nonblack patients with hypertension. In general, no racial differences in efficacy are noted when β‐blockers are used with diuretics as combination therapy for hypertension. Black patients should not be denied β‐blocker therapy because of an anticipated suboptimal response, especially when there are clear indications for treatment (e.g., for migraine, hyperthyroidism, arrhythmia control, and after myocardial infarction).