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People often take beta-blockers to decrease autonomic symptoms during performances and academic exams. Whether young people who request beta-blockers for these situations are at higher risk for later psychopathology has not been previously examined. Because all prescriptions in Denmark are registered and almost all academic exams are scheduled from May to June, researchers were able to examine beta-blocker prescriptions during examination times.
The investigators used Danish registries of demographics, school enrollment, prescriptions, and medical conditions. The 12,147 healthy students identified with a beta-blocker prescription in May or June (median age, 19; range, 14–30; 80% female) were matched to nonuser controls. Fifty-nine percent of…