Beta-Blocker Use May Reduce Stroke Severity

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 01 (updated Mar 22) - Beta-blocker use is associated with less severe presentation in patients who develop strokes, according to a report in the February 13th issue of Neurology.

Dr. Stephen M. Oppenheimer from the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute, Edison, and Dr. Somchai Laowattana from the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, investigated the possible relationship between prior beta-blocker use and stroke severity on presentation in 111 patients with stroke.

Among all demographic risk factors and medications prescribed, only beta-blocker use was significantly associated with less stroke severity on univariate and multiple linear regression analyses, the authors report.

Aspirin use and statin therapy were not related to stroke severity, the results indicate, but being female was associated with lesser severity in one multiple logistic regression model.

In an analysis of mechanisms associated with reduced stroke risk, four factors emerged: low-to-high ratio of power spectral energy of heart rate variability (assessing sympathovagal balance), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, thrombin level, and hemoglobin A1c level.

Summing up, Dr. Oppenheimer told Reuters Health that "perhaps beta blockers could have a dual effect in hypertensive patients in both reducing the likelihood of stroke and decreasing its severity once it occurs."

However, he concluded that "this requires further investigation in a large follow-up study involving a cohort of several thousand patients."

Neurology 2007;68:509-514.

Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/552941?src=mp