A systematic review published in the latest issue of the Cochrane Library, 2007, Issue 1, found that evidence does not support the use of beta-blockers as first-line drugs in the treatment of hypertension.
Patients who use beta-blocker have a slightly higher risk of death and cardiovascular disease than patients who use calcium channel blockers.
This conclusion is based on 13 RCTs that have found the "relatively weak effect of beta-blockers to reduce stroke and the absence of an effect on coronary heart disease when compared to placebo or no treatment. More importantly, it is based on the trend towards worse outcomes in comparison with calcium-channel blockers, renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, and thiazide diuretics."
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