Beta-blockers and diabetes mellitus

Journal of Clinical and Basic Cardiology 2001; 4 (1): 17-20

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Keywords: Betablocker,  Diabetes mellitus,  Hypertonie,  Nephropathie,  beta-blocker,  Diabetes mellitus,  hypertension,  nephropathy

Beta-blockers have been convincingly shown to reduce total and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensive diabetic patients. After myocardial infarction these agents confer a twice as high protective effect when compared to non-diabetic patients. However, most paradoxically, beta-blocking agents are used less frequently in diabetes. A thorough analysis of the literature does not reveal adverse metabolic effects, a higher risk of hypoglycaemia or less nephroprotective effects of beta1-selective beta-blocking agents, which could justify the reticence in prescribing these antihypertensive agents to diabetic patients. The unnecessary less frequent prescription of beta1-selective beta-blockers in diabetes mellitus contributes to the higher cardiovascular mortality in these patients. J Clin Basic Cardiol 2001; 4: 17-20.