ArticleJournal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)2025
β-blockers and risk of neuropsychiatric adverse events: An active-comparator restricted disproportionality on the FAERS.
Article in Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Targeting β-Adrenergic Signaling in Colorectal Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential of β-Blockers.Cancers · 2026Review
- Beta-Blocker Use and Self-Reported Sleep Changes Among Medical Students in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Integrating Pharmacovigilance Data Mining and Mendelian Randomization to Identify Risk Profiles and Causal Targets of Opioid-Induced Delirium.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2026Article
- Mechanistic Overlaps Between Sleep and Headache Disorders: From Dopaminergic Dysfunction to Neuroinflammation-A Narrative Review.Clocks & sleep · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundβ-blockers (β-adrenoceptor antagonists), commonly used for cardiovascular conditions, may be linked to neuropsychiatric adverse events (AEs). However, many prevalent ones, including delirium and hallucinations, remain insufficiently studied.
aimsTo compare the neuropsychiatric risks of β-blockers with other antihypertensive drugs using data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and differences between lipophilic and hydrophilic β-blockers.
methodAn active-comparator restricted disproportionality analysis was conducted using data from the FAERS (2004Q1-2023Q4). Neuropsychiatric AEs were analyzed using Preferred Terms and the System Organ Classes from the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities for β-blockers compared to lisinopril and losartan. Adjusted Reporting Odds Ratios (aRORs) were calculated using logistic regression to account for potential confounders.
resultsβ-blockers were linked to a significantly higher risk of nervous and psychiatric disorders, compared to lisinopril and losartan. Among the nine types of neuropsychiatric events studied, six-dizziness, nightmares, insomnia, hallucinations, somnolence, and disorientation-showed higher aRORs with β-blockers. Propranolol, a lipophilic β-blocker, exhibited the highest aRORs for psychiatric disorders and six types of neuropsychiatric events, including nightmares, delirium, hallucinations, disorientation, altered mental status, and somnolence, compared to lisinopril and losartan. Compared to atenolol, propranolol remained significantly associated with delirium, hallucinations, and disorientation.
conclusionβ-blockers, especially propranolol, may be associated with a higher risk of neuropsychiatric AEs compared to lisinopril and losartan. These findings highlight the importance of considering the specific β-blocker prescribed, particularly in patients at risk for central nervous system side effects. Further population-based studies are warranted to confirm these results.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.