Taking beta-blockers is not associated with a heightened risk of depression, according to a new analysis published in Hypertension. The study did suggest, however, that beta-blockers could cause a patient to experience unusual dreams, insomnia or other sleep disorders.
“The possible mental health side effects of beta-blockers have been the subject of discussion in the scientific community for many decades,” corresponding author Reinhold Kreutz, MD, PhD, a professor at the Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, said in a prepared statement. “So, our results showing beta-blockers are not the cause of so many of these negative side effects are quite consequential.”
The researchers carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis, evaluating data from 258 different studies and more than 50,000 patients. All studies were double-blind, randomized trials.
Overall, the team found that depression was just as likely when patients took beta-blockers or a placebo. Also, a patient’s likelihood of discontinuing medication due to depression was the same among patients taking beta-blockers as it was for patients being treated in other ways.
The data did reveal that there may be a connection between taking beta-blockers and experiencing certain issues that affect a person’s sleep cycle.
“We found no indication of an association between beta-blocker use and depression,” Kreutz said. “The same was true for most of the other mental health symptoms, as reported in the studies that were included in our analyses. However, sleep-related symptoms such as unusual dreams or insomnia did emerge during beta-blocker therapy for some patients.”
Read the full Hypertension study here.
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