Beta blockers

• You may know this group of drugs as: Betapace®, Blocadren®, Brevibloc®, Coreg®, Coreg CR®, Inderal®, InnoPran XL®, Lopressor®, Sectral®, Tenormin®, Toprol XL®, Visken®, plus others less commonly prescribed
• Why they are commonly used: Beta blockers are often used to protect the heart after a heart attack, as well as to treat high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, glaucoma, migraine headaches, and other conditions.
• Effectiveness concerns: Some people have a decreased response to this medication, and find that beta blockers aren't effective drugs for them.
• What you can do: Knowing whether beta blockers are likely to be effective for you allows you and your doctor to choose the right drugs for you, and opt for alternatives if needed.
• Did you know? Beta blockers are an important treatment for heart failure, and one of the most common prescription drugs used in the United States. Almost 130 million prescriptions for beta blockers are written each year. But many people, particularly African-Americans, find that these drugs don't work for them.

Beta blockers work by blocking a biochemical pathway in the body that helps determine how the heart functions. This pathway is affected, in part, by a gene called GRK5. A particular variant of this gene, common in African Americans, reduces activity in this pathway, meaning that the variation acts as a genetic beta blocker. People with this gene variant don't respond as well to beta blocker treatment after heart failure. This may explain why clinical trials of beta blockers in heart failure have generally shown less promising results in African-American populations than in European-Americans.

Yet some African-Americans don't fit this pattern, and respond well to beta blockers. Knowing your genetic predisposition for beta blocker effectiveness lets you and your doctor make a medication choice that's right for you on a personal level.