Drugs used to treat cardiovascular problems may also be linked to a decrease in violence, a new study from Sweden suggests.
Drugs called beta blockers lower blood pressure and help dilate arteries and veins to improve blood flow. They can also help treat anxiety symptoms such as a fast heart rate.
Psychiatric researchers from the UK and Sweden focused on the calming effects of beta blockers and found that people who took them were less likely to become aggressive or commit a violent crime.
The calming effects of beta blockers are so well tolerated that scientists are now finding other uses for the drugs, such as slowing the spread of breast cancer cells throughout the body.
In a new study, researchers looked at 1.4 million beta-blocker users in Sweden over an eight-year period, and determined how patients fared with and without the drugs. Beta-blocker treatments were associated with a 13 percent lower likelihood of being charged with a violent crime
DR Seena Fazel, psychiatric researcher at the University of Oxford and co-author of the study, told the Daily Beast: “Beta-blockers work through the action of adrenaline and norepinephrine, hormones associated with stress and the basis of ‘fight.’ block form.”. -“or-flight” answer.’
Dr. Fazel and colleagues from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden studied 1.4 million beta-blocker users in Sweden over an eight-year period, spanning 2006-2013, and assessed how the patients behaved while taking the medication and while they were involved longer. .
The study was published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine.
Daily anti-stress medication can help prevent breast cancer from spreading
Australian researchers from Monash University have found that propranolol, a beta-blocker used to treat heart disease and anxiety disorders, can significantly increase the chances of surviving breast cancer.
More than seven percent of patients were hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder, less than one percent exhibited suicidal behavior and were charged with a violent crime.
Researchers examined psychiatric and behavioral outcomes—hospitalizations for psychiatric disorders, suicidal behavior and deaths by suicide, and charges of violent crime.
They concluded that beta blocker treatments were associated with a 13 percent lower risk of being charged with a violent crime and an 8 percent lower risk of being hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder.
They also found an eight percent increased risk of suicidal thoughts when taking beta blockers.
“However, this was specific to individuals with a history of psychiatric hospitalization or suicidal behavior, and the absolute risk was low,” the study said.
But the authors note that correlation does not equal causation, and they cannot say for sure whether the beta blockers are causing the effect. The association they found varied depending on the psychiatric diagnosis, previous psychiatric problems, and the severity and type of heart disease for which the beta blockers were used.
Beta blockers are often used to treat anxiety. Interestingly, a secondary analysis showed that associations with hospitalizations were smaller for major depressive disorders but not for anxiety disorders.
Much research remains to be done on beta blockers and their role in behavior and mental health. The research team said that given their findings, more experiments using the drugs for violence and aggression in high-risk groups should be done.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
