Heart Health

Beta blocker blues?

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My doctor added metoprolol to the diuretic medication I'm taking for my high blood pressure. Ever since then, I've felt more tired than usual, and my wife says I seem a little depressed. Could the new drug be to blame, and if so, is there anything I can do about it?

For decades, beta blockers have also been prescribed routinely to heart attack survivors, based on early studies suggesting that these drugs improved survival. However, a growing body of research has found that, except for people with heart failure, that's not necessarily the case now that heart attacks are usually treated promptly with stents. But for the time being, these drugs are still typically recommended after a heart attack.

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