Beta blockers in coronary artery disease with and without hypertension.

Beta-adrenergic blockers (BB) were developed to treat angina. Trials of BB with myocardial infarction (MI) setting were highly successful in the pre-thrombolytic era. Subsequently BB proved to be beneficial in post-thrombolytic MI in long-term use. In stable angina BB gives good symptomatic relief primarily by reducing myocardial oxygen demand. In the set-up of unstable angina/non-ST elevation MI they prevent arrhythmia and progression to ST elevation MI. BB have also been shown to retard the progression of atherosclerosis. In congestive cardiac failure (CCF) they are now the first-line drugs with ACE inhibitors to impart prognostic benefit. Their role in improving outcome of cardiac and non-cardiac surgeries has found good evidence and recommendation. But in the field where BB have scored maximally, ie, in hypertension, their role is recently debated. But the unchallenged fact remains that in presence of any form of coronary artery disease, BB are the most preferred class of drugs to treat hypertension.