Heart attack patients are needlessly taking beta blockers and the drug could even raise the risk of death, landmark research has suggested. 

The daily tablets, which can trigger fatigue, nausea and even sexual dysfunction, are offered to the majority of patients who suffer a heart attack.

Around 60,000 people are prescribed beta blockers every year in the UK and many will remain on the pills for life.

A Spanish study involving over 8,000 adults has revealed that the medication was ineffective and did not help in lowering the risk of death or additional heart attacks.

Women who were given beta blockers faced an increased risk of death, heart attack, or being hospitalized for heart failure compared to women who were not on the medication.

Experts believe this research should revolutionize the treatment of heart attack patients globally, sparing many from unpleasant side effects.

Dr. Valentin Fuster, the general director of the National Center for Cardiovascular Investigation in Madrid, expressed that these findings will transform international clinical guidelines on beta-blockers for men and women, encouraging a much-needed, gender-specific approach to cardiovascular treatment.

‘Our results showed no advantage in using beta-blockers for patients with stable heart function post-heart attack, despite this practice being the norm for nearly 40 years.’

Beta blockers, which can trigger fatigue, nausea and even sexual dysfunction, are offered to the majority of patients who suffer a heart attack

In the study, researchers tracked 8,505 patients across 109 hospitals whose heart function was above 40 per cent.

They were randomly assigned to either take a beta blocker or no beta blocker within two weeks of leaving the hospital. 

All patients otherwise received the current standard of care.

After approximately four years of follow-up, scientists observed no notable difference in the rates of death from any cause, subsequent heart attacks, or hospitalization for heart failure between the groups studied.

However, when assessing women’s results specifically, they found women who were treated with beta-blockers were significantly more likely to have another heart attack or be hospitalized for heart failure.

They also had a 2.7 percent higher risk of death compared to those not treated with beta-blockers. 

The findings were published in the European Heart Journal and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid.

Dr. Borja Ibáñez, scientific director for Madrid’s National Center for Cardiovascular Investigation and study co-author, said: ‘After a heart attack, patients are typically prescribed multiple medications, which can make adherence difficult.

NHS data shows a rise in the number of younger adults suffering from heart attacks over the past decade. The biggest increase (95 per cent) was recorded in the 25-29 year-old demographic, though as numbers of patients are low even small spikes can look dramatic 

‘Beta blockers were added to standard treatment early on because they significantly reduced mortality at the time. 

‘Their benefits were linked to reduced cardiac oxygen demand and arrhythmia prevention. But therapies have evolved. 

‘Today, occluded coronary arteries are reopened rapidly and systematically, drastically lowering the risk of serious complications such as arrhythmias. 

‘In this new context—where the extent of heart damage is smaller—the need for beta blockers is unclear. 

‘While we often test new drugs, it’s much less common to rigorously question the continued need for older treatments.’ 

Experts have long raised concern over the effectiveness of beta-blockers, arguing they have ‘little impact’ now.

Earlier this year, Professor Peter Sever, an expert in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics at Imperial College London, also told the Daily Mail: ‘Beta blockers were the number one drug choice for high blood pressure in 1995, but we’ve moved on.

‘Trials have shown they are much less effective at preventing strokes and heart attacks than [newer drugs called] ACE inhibitors, for example. 

‘They have very little role in hypertension management now, except as a third or fourth medication.’ 

It comes as alarming data last year also revealed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems generally, such as heart attacks and strokes, had hit their highest level in more than a decade. 

The Daily Mail has previously highlighted how the number of young people, under 40, in England being treated for heart attacks by the NHS is on the rise. 

Cases of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes among the under-75s had tumbled since the 1960s thanks to plummeting smoking rates, advanced surgical techniques and breakthroughs such as stents and statins.

But now, other factors such as slow ambulance response times for category 2 calls in England — which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes — as well as long waits for tests and treatment have also been blamed.