New Delhi, Jan 10 Beta blockers are not commonly known to lower potassium levels, and are a well-tolerated drug, said experts on Friday, expressing concerns on government body’s alert on these commonly used medicines for blood pressure and heart.
Beta-blockers are commonly prescribed drugs for conditions like irregular heartbeat and hypertension. It works by blocking the action of hormones like adrenaline on nerve cells, causing blood vessels to relax and dilate (widen), and also slows down the heart.
Earlier this week, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), an autonomous body under the Union Health Ministry, issued a warning that beta-blockers, commonly prescribed drugs for conditions like irregular heartbeat and hypertension, can cause potentially serious risk of low potassium levels, known as hypokalaemia.
Low potassium symptoms can lead to symptoms, including muscle weakness, fatigue, heart palpitations, and high blood pressure, among others.
“Beta blockers are not commonly known to cause hypokalaemia,” Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Chairman of the Kerala State IMA Research Cell, told IANS, noting that people “taking only a beta-blocker is extremely unlikely to develop this problem”.
Jayadevan explained that “low potassium levels can be caused only in people who use diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide and frusemide”. Diuretics are medicines that help reduce fluid buildup in the body.
“Diuretics are often taken together with beta-blockers by people who have high blood pressure. Hypokalaemia or low potassium level is known to cause muscle cramps, weakness, and dangerous rhythm abnormalities of the heart. Thus, someone who is taking only a beta blocker is extremely unlikely to develop this problem,” Jayadevan told IANS.
In its latest alert, the IPC advised healthcare professionals, patients/consumers "to closely monitor the possibility of the adverse drug reaction with the use of the suspected drugs". Beta-blockers mentioned in the drug safety alert include Metoprolol, Propranolol, and Atenolol.
Cardiologist Dr Ashwani Mehta, from a city-based hospital, called the move unnecessary which has caused panic among patients.
“We have been using beta blockers in a big way in our country for the last about 25 to 30 years. Rarely has any of our patients developed hypokalemia, until and unless there is any kind of serious comorbidities associated which per se led to hypokalemia”, Mehta said.
“I do not think that beta blockers can cause significant hyperkalemia. They are one of the very well-tolerated drugs. This alert has created a panic in the general public, which is really not required,” Mehta said.
The Cardiologist assured people to “not be worried about the various side effects”.
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