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It is well established that elevated resting heart rates increase risks for morbidity and mortality in patients with and without heart disease. That beta-blocker administration lowers mortality and other cardiovascular events in individuals with coronary disease and congestive heart failure has also been fairly conclusively demonstrated. Therefore, it seems quite logical that beta-blockade should be beneficial in treating essential hypertension; indeed, to suggest otherwise is akin to proposing a possible harm from suppression of premature ventricular contractions in patients who have had MIs (remember CAST?).
Ahem. Sure enough, systematic reviews of a multitude of studies have shown the inferiority of beta-blockers in the treatment of hyper…