So today we are going to talk about the most talked-about drug, beta blockers. A drug or medication that is popularly consumed by the patients and largely prescribed by the physicians.
So among all the beta-blockers consumed, today we are going to highlight some of the few majorly prescribed beta blocker medications in the US. So are you wondering what is it? Let’s understand that first.
What is Beta Blocker?
Before starting with anything let’s first understand what beta blockers are. These are the drugs that can lower the stress on the heart and blood vessels and give you relief. Adding further to it, these are the class of drugs that prevent the stimulation of the adrenergic receptors responsible for increased cardiac action.
Among its multiple uses, it’s primarily used to control or balance heart rhythm, treat angina, and reduce high blood pressure.
They also help in treating migraines, anxiety, tremor, and other conditions. So how do beta blockers work? It works by blocking the effects of the epinephrine hormone, also popularly known as adrenaline.
These help in preventing heart attacks. What it does is, slows down the heartbeat with a lesser force, which in turn lowers the blood pressure too. It plays a significant role in improving blood pressure by widening the veins and arteries.
Common Reasons Physicians Prescribe Beta Blocker Medication
Among these several reasons or ailments, what are the most common reasons for which the physicians in the US recommend beta blocker medication to the patients?
Generally, physicians recommend beta blockers to treat abnormal heart rhythms or cardiac arrhythmias. It is also prescribed to patients to treat them after heart attacks, as a result, to reduce the risk of subsequent heart attacks and improving the survival rates.
These are also widely known to eliminate symptoms such as chest pain, nausea, shortness of breath, anxiety, and weakness. There are many beta-blockers used by the patients and prescribed by the physicians.
So what are the most popular ones? Which are the most recommended ones by physicians in the US?
Today we are going to list down some of the top-selling and widely prescribed beta blockers lists.
So what are they? Here we go.
Top 10 Highly Prescribed Beta-Blockers in the US
| Generic Drug Name | # Prescriptions | Drug Cost (M) |
| Metoprolol Succinate | 20,514,978 | $626.5 |
| Metoprolol Tartrate | 20,190,175 | $137.1 |
| Carvedilol | 14,338,224 | $114.5 |
| Atenolol | 9,908,201 | $73.6 |
| Propranolol Hcl | 1,667,736 | $48.5 |
| Bystolic Hcl | 1,485,994 | $291.1 |
| Labetalol Hcl | 879,531 | $39.8 |
| Propranolol Hcl ER | 612,943 | $53.4 |
| Bisoprolol Fumarate | 535,835 | $14.6 |
| Toprol XL | 455,369 | $24.5 |
All the above-mentioned beta blocker medications are designed based on the highest number of prescriptions prescribed by US physicians against each drug. All the names are mentioned along with their prices to give you a detailed insight into these drugs.
Let’s understand more details about these drugs in the below section.
Let’s Know More About the Above-Mentioned Beta Blockers
However beta blockers are for the most part viable, doctors generally possibly endorse them if another drug, similar to a diuretic, has demonstrated inadequate in treating (hypertension). When a doctor chooses a beta-blocker that could be the most ideal choice, they commonly recommend it related to another drug, such as an ACE inhibitor. ACE inhibitors loosen up veins and lessen blood volume, supplementing the impacts of a beta-blocker.
There are a few applications for beta blockers notwithstanding the treatment of heart-related ailments. These medications can forestall headaches by expanding the measure of oxygen conveyed to the cerebrum. Doctors likewise endorse beta-blockers for glaucoma patients to decrease tension from the liquid in the eyes, bringing down the danger of optic nerve harm and loss of vision.
As mentioned above, the most generally endorsed beta-blocker drugs are metoprolol succinate and metoprolol tartrate. While the two medications are utilized to treat heart-related issues, their applications are altogether different. Metoprolol tartrate is an effective prescription taken orally two times a day to treat arrhythmia and angina.
It is additionally extremely powerful in forestalling coronary failures and is given to patients in the emergency clinic after their first coronary failure to forestall ensuing scenes. As well as being taken orally, metoprolol tartrate can be given as an infusion to treat angina and arrhythmia. In contrast to metoprolol tartrate, metoprolol succinate comes as a drawn-out discharge pill to be taken orally one time each day.
One more critical contrast in the prescriptions is cost. Both are accessible in a nonexclusive structure and are covered by most health care coverage plans. Nonetheless, for patients paying using cash on hand, metoprolol tartrate is a lot less expensive.
Where metoprolol tartrate as a rule costs somewhere in the range of $4 and $20 for a 30-day supply, metoprolol succinate ordinarily costs somewhere in the range of $13 and $45.
While beta blockers can be viable in treating issues like heart arrhythmia, angina, and hypertension, the medications ought not to be joined with other circulatory strain prescriptions like clonidine, as it might bring about low pulse (hypotension).
NSAID pain killers, like ibuprofen and other calming drugs, can likewise contrarily affect the impact of beta-blocker prescriptions. Beta-blockers additionally can possibly draw out low glucose levels (hypoglycemia) and veil hypoglycemia indications in patients with diabetes.
To explore more about such prescribed beta blockers and to know more about the top physicians in the US, you can explore our newly launched healthcare intelligence platform. At any point in time, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].
