What is a "beta blocker"?

What is a "beta blocker"?

Rose Marie Robertson, MD, FAHA, FACC, FESC (Chief Science Officer and Past President of the Board of American Heart Association) gives expert video advice on: How soon will I start to feel better after taking heart medication? and more...

A beta blocker is a medication that affects the ability of the sympathetic nervous system to raise the heart rate and to activate the heart. Beta blockers are quite an important medication. When someone has a heart attack or has heart failure, the sympathetic nervous system can be over-activated in a way that's actually deleterious in the long run. Beta blockers have demonstrated their ability to prolong life and to prevent sudden cardiac death in patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure, and are a critical part of the medication regimen in patients with those disorders.