Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Adrenergic Antagonists: Chemistry and Classification of β-Receptor Blockers

Adrenergic Antagonists: Chemistry and Classification of β-Receptor Blockers

β-adrenergic antagonists, or β-blockers, modulate the sympathetic nervous system by targeting β-adrenoceptors and inhibiting catecholamine-mediated sympathetic responses. β-blockers differ in their adrenoceptor subtype affinity, lipophilicity, and α-blocking capabilities. The history of β-blocker development began with the prototype, dichloroisoprenaline, which exhibited partial agonist activity. As a result, propranolol was developed as a pure antagonist but nonselective agent, paving the way...

Adrenergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions of β-Receptor Blockers

Adrenergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions of β-Receptor Blockers

β-receptor blockers significantly impact the cardiovascular system by counteracting catecholamine-induced sympathetic responses. These medications decrease heart rate, contractility, and cardiac output, potentially leading to cardiac depression, life-threatening bradycardia, and death. Therapeutically, β-blockers function as mild antihypertensives and are utilized in treating angina pectoris and cardiac arrhythmias. However, nonselective β-blockers inhibit β2-receptors in bronchial smooth...

Adrenergic Antagonists: ɑ and β-Receptor Blockers

Adrenergic Antagonists: ɑ and β-Receptor Blockers

Third-generation β-blockers, such as labetalol and carvedilol, represent a significant advancement in managing cardiovascular conditions. Unlike conventional β-blockers, which can induce peripheral vasoconstriction, third-generation drugs block α1 adrenoceptors. This promotes vasodilation through several mechanisms, such as increased nitric oxide production, inhibition of calcium ion entry, opening of potassium ion channels, and antioxidant action. Labetalol, for instance, is clinically...

Antihypertensive Drugs: Types of β-Blockers

Antihypertensive Drugs: Types of β-Blockers

β receptors are classified into three subclasses: β1, β2, and β3. β1 receptors are primarily located in the heart and kidneys. When they get activated, they increase heart rate, contractility, and renin release. This process enhances blood pressure and aids in stress management. In contrast, β2 receptors are situated mainly in the lungs, blood vessels, and skeletal muscles. Upon activation, they trigger smooth muscle relaxation, causing bronchodilation and vasodilation. This widens airways and...

Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class II Agents as β-Adrenergic Blockers

Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class II Agents as β-Adrenergic Blockers

Adrenergic stimulation generally impacts cardiac rate and rhythm. Specifically, stimulation of the β-adrenoceptors triggers an increase in intracellular calcium ion influx and pacemaker currents, which may cause arrhythmias. Catecholamines like adrenaline also demonstrate β2-adrenoceptor-mediated hypokalemia, impacting cardiac action potential and disrupting the normal cardiac rhythm. Class II antiarrhythmic drugs are β-adrenoceptor antagonists or β-blockers, which indirectly block calcium...

Heart Failure Drugs: β-Blockers

Heart Failure Drugs: β-Blockers

β-adrenergic antagonists, commonly known as β-blockers, block the effects of sympathetic neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (ADR). They have several beneficial effects in heart failure treatment. They reduce heart rate, the force of contraction, and cardiac muscle relaxation. They also slow the atrial-ventricular conduction rate and raise the threshold for arrhythmias. The concentration of β-blockers determines their effects on bronchodilation, vasodilation, and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Activation of the Hippo Pathway by ATN Suppresses Cancer Stem-Like Properties and EGFR-Associated Signaling in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells <i>in vitro</i>.

International journal of medical sciences·2026

Same author

Association between venlafaxine use and the risk of withdrawal from nonopioid substances: a nationwide, population-based study.

Harm reduction journal·2026

Same author

Corrigendum to "A Nationwide Cohort Study on Antidepressant Use and Stroke Risk in Young Adults Aged 18-44 Years" [Clin Ther. 2025;47:720-728].

Clinical therapeutics·2026

Same author

Gender differences in the relationship between alcohol use patterns and health-related quality of life in a population experiencing a recent surge in harmful alcohol use among females: the 2018 National survey in Taiwan.

Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2025

Same author

Weighing Dose-Related Benefits and Risks of Hydroxychloroquine Treatment in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)·2025

Same author

Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD): in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, Causal Inference, and Data Security.

Clinical epidemiology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Cardiac Response to β-Adrenergic Stimulation Determined by Pressure-Volume Loop Analysis

Cardiac Response to β-Adrenergic Stimulation Determined by Pressure-Volume Loop Analysis

Published on: May 19, 2021

Trends in off-label beta-blocker use: a secondary data analysis.

Hsiang-Wen Lin¹, Kathy Phan, Swu-Jane Lin

¹College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7230, USA. hsiangwl@yahoo.com

Clinical Therapeutics

|December 13, 2006

Summary

Off-label beta-blocker prescriptions were common, with over half of uses lacking FDA approval. Specialists were more likely than general practitioners to prescribe these medications off-label.

More Related Videos

Software for Analysis of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Time-series Data from the Valsalva Maneuver

Software for Analysis of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Time-series Data from the Valsalva Maneuver

Published on: June 27, 2025

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Published on: June 10, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Cardiac Response to β-Adrenergic Stimulation Determined by Pressure-Volume Loop Analysis

Cardiac Response to β-Adrenergic Stimulation Determined by Pressure-Volume Loop Analysis

Published on: May 19, 2021

Software for Analysis of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Time-series Data from the Valsalva Maneuver

Software for Analysis of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Time-series Data from the Valsalva Maneuver

Published on: June 27, 2025

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Published on: June 10, 2025

Area of Science:

Pharmacology
Clinical Medicine
Health Services Research

Background:

Off-label beta-blocker use is suspected but lacks empirical data from utilization studies.
Previous research has not quantified the extent of beta-blocker off-label prescribing based on actual patient visit data.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze trends in the off-label use of beta-blockers during ambulatory visits to US office-based physicians.
To identify patient and prescriber factors associated with off-label beta-blocker prescriptions.

Main Methods:

Utilized data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (1999-2002).
Classified beta-blocker prescriptions as within-label or off-label based on coded visit diagnoses.
Employed logistic regression to determine predictors of off-label beta-blocker use.

Main Results:

Beta-blockers were prescribed in 5.9% of medication visits (127.3 million visits).
The overall off-label use rate for beta-blockers was 52.0% (66.2 million visits).
Specialists, particularly cardiologists, showed a higher likelihood (OR 2.147) of prescribing beta-blockers off-label compared to primary care physicians.

Conclusions:

The off-label use rate of beta-blockers identified in this study exceeds rates reported for other medications and conditions.
Specialty care physicians are significantly more likely to prescribe beta-blockers for off-label indications than general practitioners.
Further research is warranted to explore the clinical, legal, and economic implications of widespread off-label beta-blocker prescribing.