The Association of Raynaud Syndrome With β-Blockers

Abstract

Vasospastic disorders of the digital circulation such as the Raynaud syndrome (RS) are known side effects of treatment of β-adrenergic blockade. The prevalence of RS in patients during treatment with β-blockers is not well defined. The objective of this meta-analysis is to assess the prevalence of RS in patients receiving β-blockers. A literature search was performed for studies dealing with RS and patients receiving β-blockers. The studies provided sufficient data to estimate the prevalence of RS in patients receiving β-blockers. A total of 13 eligible studies, contributing data on 1012 individuals, were included in this meta-analysis. For RS in patients receiving β-blockers, a pooled prevalence of 14.7% (95% confidence interval 0.076-0.236) were obtained. Statistically publication bias was not present ( P = .877). Despite some heterogeneity, there is a possible indication of an association between RS and patients receiving β-blockers.