Beta blockers: Cardiac jacks of all trades - Harvard Health

Uses for beta blockers range from lowering blood pressure to improving heart failure.The release of the first beta blocker in the early 1960s revolutionized the treatment of chest pain caused by exertion or stress (angina). Over the following four decades, these old dogs have learned many new tricks, from protecting the heart after a heart attack to controlling heart failure. Today, millions of Americans take a beta blocker.This medication spotlight looks at how beta blockers work, who can benefit from them, and what to expect if you take one.What beta blockers doTiny proteins called beta receptors sit on the outer surface of many cells. There are three main types. Beta-1 receptors are found almost exclusively in heart cells. Beta-2 receptors reside mostly in lung and blood vessel cells, though heart cells also have some. Beta-3 receptors are located on fat cells.The job of beta receptors is to latch onto chemical messengers released by the nervous system. In response to these messenge...