Beta-Blockers May Trim Deaths after Surgery

Taking a common heart drug before surgery may reduce death rates for some patients, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at non-heart surgeries involving almost 137,000 people. About 40% of the patients took a type of drug called a beta-blocker before surgery and for 30 days afterward. People with a high risk of heart or blood vessel problems were more likely to take these drugs. They slow the heart rate and are used to reduce blood pressure and treat heart rhythm problems. People who took beta-blockers were less likely to die in the 30 days after surgery than similar patients who did not take them. The drugs reduced the risk of death and problems such as heart attack most for higher-risk surgery patients. People with higher risk included those with prior heart disease, stroke, heart failure, diabetes and kidney disease.