List of Beta Blockers

Beta Blocker List: An Introduction

Beta blockers are prescription medications used to treat many different conditions, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) or irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias). There are numerous different beta blockers available, and there are several important differences among the various beta blockers.

 

Beta Blockers By Type

Usually, beta blockers are categorized in a few different ways. Some are "cardioselective" (meaning they are more likely to affect the heart and blood vessels rather than other parts of the body), some have "intrinsic sympathomimetic activity" (meaning they slightly stimulate beta receptors while also blocking them), and some are alpha blockers as well as beta blockers. Some beta blockers fall into more than one category.

 

Cardioselective beta blockers (that are more likely to block beta-1 receptors rather than beta-2 receptors) include:

 

Beta blockers with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA) include:

 

Beta blockers that also block alpha blockers include:

 

Beta blockers that are non-selective, do not have ISA, and do not block alpha receptors include:

 

Sotalol (Betapace^®, Sorine^®) is unique among beta blockers in that it also blocks potassium channels in the heart. Beta blockers that have not been approved (or are unavailable) in the United States are not included in these lists.