Elsevier

Medical Hypotheses

Volume 62, Issue 5, May 2004, Pages 755-758
Medical Hypotheses

Increasing longevity by decreasing sympathetic stress – early β receptor blockade pharmacotherapy

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2003.10.027Get rights and content

Abstract

Consideration regarding human aging and sympathetic nervous system activity suggests that old age represents a hyperadrenergic state. With advancing age the sympathetically mediated stress on the body, specifically the cardiovascular system, may outweigh the benefits an intact sympathetic nervous system conveys for short-term survival. β Blockers temper the effects of the sympathetic nervous system by slowing heart rate and decreasing blood pressure. Recently, β blockers have been shown to improve outcome and survival following surgery and myocardial infarction, have beneficial effects in patients with heart failure, and may have an antiatherosclerotic effect. We propose that instituting β receptor blockade pharmacotherapy at an early age will increase longevity by countering the adverse effects of sympathetically mediated stress.

Section snippets

After myocardial infarction

Long term use of β blockers following myocardial infarction reduces morbidity and mortality with most of the evidence of benefit being from the β blockers metoprolol, propanolol and timolol [10]. Mortality and sudden cardiac death are reduced by 21% and 30%, respectively, whereas the risk of reinfarction is reduced by 25% [11]. Short-term β blockade immediately after acute myocardial infarction seems unlikely to be of major benefit unless treatment is continued long term. However, estimates

Conclusion

In conclusion, initiating β receptor blocking drugs at an early age, although not too young as to effect central nervous system development, since early postnatal treatment with propanolol affects development of brain amines and behaviour [28], would likely increase longevity by their counterbalancing effects on the onslaught of the sympathetic nervous system. Newer β blocker vasodilators such as carvedilol may be more beneficial in lowering the vascular resistance and countering the increased

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