American Family Physician - Taking a Beta Blocker for Your Heart Problem
November 19th, 2008 What is a beta blocker?
A beta blocker is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems. Some beta blockers are atenolol (brand name: Tenormin), metoprolol (brand name: Lopressor) and propranolol (brand name: Inderal). A beta blocker blocks the harmful effects of stress hormones on your heart. This medicine also makes your heart rate slower. Beta blockers can also be used to prevent migraine headaches in people who…
Common Side Effects Of High Blood Pressure Medication
November 17th, 2008Some of the drugs listed below can affect certain functions of the body, resulting in bad side effects. However, drugs that lower blood pressure have proven effective over the years. The benefits of usin…
Journal of Family Practice - Immediate- vs extended-release metoprolol in heart failure - Letters to the Editor
November 11th, 2008 TO THE EDITOR:
The Clinical Inquiries article by Jon Neher and Sarah Safranek (”What is the most effective beta-blocker for heart failure?,” J Fam Pract 2003; 52(5):396-398) was well-written, but one important point was missing: the distinction between immediate-release metoprolol (metoprolol tartrate [Lopressor]) and extended-release metoprolol (metoprolol succ’mate …
Quick Answers to the Most Common Migraine Questions
November 9th, 2008What are the symptoms of a migraine?
The pain is felt on just one of the head and is often severe or extreme.
Aura (visual disturbances such as flashing lights, zigzagging lines, numbness, paralysis) experienced twenty to sixty minutes before onset of head pain.
Nausea and/or vomiting.
Sensitivity to light and noi…
Heart Advisor - When are beta blockers the right hypertension drug? Beta blockers are critical in conditions such as heart failure, but uncomplicated high blood pressure can…
November 3rd, 2008 Beta blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL) and propranolol (Inderal, Inderal LA), certainly have their place in the fight to lower blood pressure–just not on the front lines.
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In cases of uncomplicated hypertension, other medications, such as diuretics, are preferable to beta blockers at protecting against stroke and heart attack, according to an analysis reported in the August 14 Journa…
Graves Disease -causes, Symptoms, Treatment
October 29th, 2008Treatment of Graves DiseaseFirst described by Sir Robert Graves in the early 19th century, Graves’ disease is one of the most common of all thyroid problems. It is also the leading cause of hyperthyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland produces excessive hormones.Graves’ disease is a thyroid disorder characterized by goitre, exophthalmos, and hyperthyroidism. It is…
Healthfacts - Calcium channel blockers: three strikes and you’re out?
October 23rd, 2008The antihypertensive drugs known as calcium channel blockers (e.g., Procardia, Cardizem, Adalat, and Calan), already implicated in increasing the risk of heart attack (see HealthFacts, September 1995), are now suspected of causing gastrointestinal bleeding and cancer in elderly people.
Marco Pavor, M.D., Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis, and colleagues followed 750 hypertensive persons, 71 years of age or older, from 1988 to 1992. (American Journal of H…
Medical Marketing and Media - Studies gauge response to risk info
October 21st, 2008Ross Pelton, RPh, James B. Valle, RPh, Ernest B. Hawkins, RPh, Daniel L. Krinsky, RPh Lexi-Comp, Inc., 1100 Terex Road, Hudson, OH 44236; 800-837-5394; www.lexi.com ISBN 1-930598-15-9; soft-cover; 591 pages; $29.95
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Advicor Medicine - Uses, Dosage and Side Effects
October 17th, 2008It is a combination of extended-release niacin and lovastatin. Lovastatin blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body. Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, is vitamin B3. Niacin also blocks the production of cholesterol in the body.
Advicor Dosage
The usual starting dose of Advicor is one …
American Family Physician - Beta blocker use and depression after myocardial infarction
October 13th, 2008Background: Beta blockers are one of the medications most commonly prescribed for treating arrhythmias, hypertension, heart failure, and angina pectoris, and for helping prevent myocardial infarction (MI). Their use also has been shown to significantly reduce…

