Here is a Q&A post about beta blockers. I have been on mine (metoprolol) for 10 months now. My doc nor my cardiologist have changed the med or the dosage. I am on 100mg and I guess it is considered the BIG KAHUNA of heart meds if you have had a heart attack.
Why do I need to take a beta-blocker?
Beta-blockers are used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), congestive heart failure (CHF), abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), and chest pain (angina). Beta-blockers are sometimes used in heart attack patients to prevent future heart attacks.
How do beta-blockers work?
* Beta-blockers "block" the effects of adrenaline on your body's beta receptors. This slows the nerve impulses that travel through the heart. As a result, your heart does not have to work as hard because it needs less blood and oxygen. Beta-blockers also block the impulses that can cause an arrhythmia.
* Your body has 2 main beta receptors: beta 1 and beta 2.
* Some beta-blockers are selective, which means that they block beta 1 receptors more than they block beta 2 receptors. Beta 1 receptors are responsible for heart rate and the strength of your heartbeat.
* Nonselective beta-blockers block both beta 1 and beta 2 receptors. Beta 2 receptors are responsible for the function of your smooth muscles (muscles that control body functions but that you do not have control over).
http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/Topics/Meds/betameds.cfm
No comments:
Post a Comment