Current place of beta-blockers in the treatment of hypertension.

Hypertension represents the most common cardiovascular risk factor, affecting more than 25% of the adult population in developed societies. Although beta-blockers have been previously shown to effectively reduce blood pressure and have been used for hypertension treatment for over 40 years, their effect on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients remains controversial and their use in uncomplicated hypertension is currently still under debate. According to the previous recommendations beta-blockers should not be preferred as first-line therapy in hypertension patients. This review summarizes the current knowledge on application of beta-blockers in patients with hypertension and discusses the most recent guidelines of the European Society of Hypertension (2009) on beta-blockers applications.