Via practica 4/2015

Beta blockers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in clinical praxis

Beta blockers are being used in several important indications in medical praxis. Their effect to reduce morbidity and mortality in some cardiological diseases has been proved by many studies. Patients with chronic heart failure or myocardial infarction significantly profit from beta blockers therapy. However, usage of this medication group is limited in partients with absolute or relative contraindications – e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus or peripheral arterial disease. Many retrospective studies and metaanalyses re-evaluate theese findings. Some of them observed beta blockers usage in every single of cardiological dianoses in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Several of them concluded that doubts of risks mentioned above are not justified and universal exclusion of beta blockers in all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is not necessarry. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency and types of beta blockers that are being used in our clinical praxis in geratric patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Keywords: beta blockers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, indications, contraindications.