What signs of hypoglycemia do beta blockers mask?
Similarly one may ask, do beta blockers cause hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia is relatively uncommon, but it is described in patients with unstable diabetes and in children; beta-blocking drugs may cause hypoglycemia by inhibiting glycogenolysis. Myocardial conduction delays with decreased contractility typify the acute beta-blocker ingestion.
Secondly, which medication group can mask the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia?
Beta blockers can mask the warning signs of hypoglycaemia, and the non-selective drugs may impair the normal recovery reaction to hypoglycaemia.
In people with diabetes, β-blockers such as propranolol, metoprolol, and atenolol can result in consistently elevated fasting blood glucose levels. β-blockers are thought to contribute to the development of hyperglycemia by impairing the release of insulin from the pancreatic β-cell.