title: β-Blockers as initial therapy for hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Are β-blockers associated with lower rates of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events when used as initial treatment in individuals with hypertension compared with placebo, no treatment, or other drugs?
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Initial therapy of hypertension with β-blockers is not associated with reduced all-cause mortality but is associated with modest reductions in cardiovascular events compared with placebo or no treatment. Calcium channel blockers and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors are associated with greater reductions in cardiovascular event rates than β-blockers. This evidence derives from trials of traditional β-blockers (eg, atenolol and propranolol), because there are currently no mortality and cardiovascular event data on the new vasodilating β-blockers (eg, carvedilol and nebivolol).
authors.affiliation: Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Charles S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wiysonge
authors.forename: Lionel H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Opie
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents