A medication that blocks beta-adrenergic receptors, reducing the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline on the heart and blood vessels. Used to treat high blood pressure, heart rhythm problems, and anxiety.
Named for blocking 'beta' receptors, the second type of adrenaline receptor discovered (after 'alpha' receptors). The term emerged in the 1960s when scientists classified different types of receptors that respond to stress hormones.
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