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It is generally thought that beta-blockers cause depression, but little empirical work has been done to confirm this hypothesis. Carney and colleagues interviewed 75 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization to determine the prevalence of depression. From psychiatric interviews performed by two different interviewers, the investigators found that 21 percent of the 39 patients taking beta- blockers and 33 percent of the 36 patients taking other medications were depressed -- a difference that is not significant. (Most of the patients taking beta-blockers were being treated with propranolol.)
The authors conclude that true depression -- as opposed to depressive symptoms -- may not be a consequence of beta- blockade. Patients on beta-blockers …