Use of beta-blockers in obesity hypertension: potential role of weight gain.
Beta-blockers are the most frequently used drugs for the treatment of hypertension. Apart from concerns regarding potential adverse metabolic effects on lipids or insulin sensitivity, beta-blockers can also cause weight gain in some patients. This fact appears little known to clinical practitioners and trialists. Thus, only a minority of clinical trials with beta-blockers report weight changes during treatment. In trials that do report weight changes, beta-blockers are associated with a weight gain of 1.2 (range -0.4-3.5) kg. This may be attributable to the fact that beta blockade can decrease metabolic rate by 10%. Beta-blockers may also have other negative effects on energy metabolism. Obesity management in overweight hypertensive patients may therefore be more difficult in the presence of beta-blocker treatment. We therefore question the use of beta-blockers as first-line therapy for overweight or obese patients with uncomplicated hypertension.
Franz Volhard Clinic-Charité and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001481:Basal Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents