Medicine for heart rhythms Found to lower violence
Study assesses medicated vs. non-medicated behavioral health in 1.4 million individuals over an eight-year period
A new study has found that individuals using beta adrenergic-blocking agents (β-blockers) showed a decrease in violence compared to periods when they weren't taking the medication. If the findings are confirmed by further studies, β-blockers could be used as a way to manage aggression and hostility in people with psychiatric conditions. β-blockers are usually used to treat heart conditions and anxiety, but there is conflicting evidence about their use for depression and aggression.
The study compared 1.4 million β-blocker users in Sweden over an eight-year period and found a 13% lower risk of being charged with a violent crime, an 8% lower risk of hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder, and an 8% increased association with being treated for suicidal behavior. Further studies including randomized trials are needed to understand the role of β-blockers in managing aggression and violence.
Seena Fazel of the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden investigated psychiatric and behavioral outcomes: hospitalizations for psychiatric disorders; suicidal behavior and deaths from suicide; and charges of violent crime. They compared 1.4 million β-blocker users in Sweden to themselves during medicated and non-medicated periods over an eight-year period from 2006-2013.
The study, "Associations between β-blockers and psychiatric and behavioural outcomes: A population-based cohort study of 1.4 million individuals in Sweden" is published on January 31st 2023 in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. If the findings are confirmed by other studies, β-blockers could be considered as a way to manage aggression and hostility in individuals with psychiatric conditions.
Fazel adds, “In a real-world study of 1.4 million persons, β-blockers were associated with reduced violent criminal charges in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Repurposing their use to manage aggression and violence could improve patient outcomes.”
Natural Compound
Many natural compounds in food, as well as certain nutraceutical supplements, vitamins, antioxidants, or minerals, can mimic drugs, functioning in a similar fashion to Beta-blockers. However, they may be less potent and take longer to work than the actual drug.
The only natural compound that can act as Beta-blockers is Hawthorne berry, according to a report published in 2014 on Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
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- Source: PLOS Medicine http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004164
- Citation: Molero Y, Kaddoura S, Kuja-Halkola R, Larsson H, Lichtenstein P, D’Onofrio BM, et al. (2023) Associations between β-blockers and psychiatric and behavioural outcomes: A population-based cohort study of 1.4 million individuals in Sweden. PLoS Med 20(1): e1004164. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004164
- Citation: Alexander W. Hypertension: is it time to replace drugs with nutrition and nutraceuticals? P T. 2014 Apr;39(4):291-5. PMID: 24757368; PMCID: PMC3989080.
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