These receptors mediate the effects of about half of all medicines, including beta-blockers, antihistamines and several psychiatric medications.

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Mammograms would compete with monitors on school buses, highway guardrails with beta-blockers.

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These include local anaesthetics and drugs used to treat medical conditions such as cortico-steroids, used to treat asthma, and beta-blockers, used to treat heart conditions.

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Others use beta-blockers to overcome the anxiety and stress of performance.

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Men on beta-blockers and other medications also had fewer brain abnormalities, but not as big a reduction as that seen in the men on beta-blockers alone.

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Treatments such as diuretics (which speed up the elimination of water and salt), beta-blockers (which cause the heart to beat more slowly and less forcefully) and ACE inhibitors (which stop the production of water-attracting chemicals) have long been available.

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Dr. ANDREW EINSTEIN (Cardiologist, Columbia University): Using beta-blockers or other medications to lower patient's heart rate, which in many cases will chip the radiation dose down by minimizing the number of images which are taken, and matching the technical parameters such that the patient doesn't receive too many x-rays.

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For example, swimmers are unlikely to be tested for beta blockers - which can help calm the nerves but do not aid endurance - but divers definitely will be.

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Once it's clear that broken heart syndrome is the cause of your symptoms, your doctor will likely prescribe heart medications for you to take while you're in the hospital, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta blockers or diuretics.

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