Atenolol  was the beta‐blocker most used .
Current evidence suggests that initiating treatment of hypertension with beta‐blockers leads to modest CVD reductions and little or no effects on mortality .
These beta‐blocker effects are inferior to those of other antihypertensive drugs .
Abstract Background Beta‐blockers refer to a mixed group of drugs with diverse pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties .
They have shown long‐term beneficial effects on mortality and cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) when used in people with heart failure or acute myocardial infa rct ion .
Beta‐blockers were thought to have similar beneficial effects when used as first‐line therapy for hypertension .
However , the benefit of beta‐blockers as first‐line therapy for hypertension without compelling indications is controversial .
This review is an up date of a Cochrane Review initially published in 2007 and up date d in 2012 .
Objectives To assess the effects of beta‐blockers on morbidity and mortality endpoints in adults with hypertension .
Comparative long term effects of nebivolol and carvedilol in hypertensive heart failure patients.
BACKGROUND Beta-blockers improve left ventricular ( LV ) systolic function and prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure ( CHF ) , but their different pleiotropic properties may influence their cardiovascular effects . This open-label study compared the effects of long-term treatment with nebivolol versus carvedilol on LV ejection fraction ( LVEF ) , in hypertensive CHF patients . Secondary end points were to assess the effect of the 2 beta-blockers on exercise capacity and clinical outcome . METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 160 hypertensive CHF patients , with LVEF < 40 % and in New York Heart Association ( NYHA ) functional class I , II , or III , were r and omly assigned to receive nebivolol or carvedilol for 24 months . At baseline and at the end of treatment , all patients underwent clinical evaluation , echocardiography , and 6-minute walking test . The target doses were 10 mg/d for nebivolol and 50 mg/d for carvedilol . Compared with baseline values , LVEF increased by a similar extent in the carvedilol ( C ) and nebivolol ( N ) groups ( C from 36.1 % ( SD 1.5 % ) to 40.9 % ( SD 1.9 % ) , P < .001 ; N from 34.1 % ( SD 1.8 % ) to 38.5 % ( SF 2.2 % ) , P < .001 ) . Heart rate and NYHA functional class decreased significantly in both groups , and the 6-minute walking distance increased ( C from 420 m ( SD 104 m ) to 490 m ( SD 115 m ) , P < .001 ; N from 421 m ( SD 118 m ) to 487 m ( SD 138 m ) , P < .001 ) . During 24 months , 21 carvedilol recipients ( 26 % ) and 18 nebivolol recipients ( 22 % ) had cardiac events , including 3 and 4 deaths , respectively . CONCLUSION In the long term , nebivolol and carvedilol appear to be similarly effective in the treatment of hypertensive patients with CHF
Atenolol  was the beta‐blocker most used .
Current evidence suggests that initiating treatment of hypertension with beta‐blockers leads to modest CVD reductions and little or no effects on mortality .
These beta‐blocker effects are inferior to those of other antihypertensive drugs .
Abstract Background Beta‐blockers refer to a mixed group of drugs with diverse pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties .
They have shown long‐term beneficial effects on mortality and cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) when used in people with heart failure or acute myocardial infa rct ion .
Beta‐blockers were thought to have similar beneficial effects when used as first‐line therapy for hypertension .
However , the benefit of beta‐blockers as first‐line therapy for hypertension without compelling indications is controversial .
This review is an up date of a Cochrane Review initially published in 2007 and up date d in 2012 .
Objectives To assess the effects of beta‐blockers on morbidity and mortality endpoints in adults with hypertension .