Beta blockers: the complete list, ranked by safety record
All 13 beta blockers we track, ranked by our independent FDA recall-safety score. Unlike a plain list, every drug here carries its safety record, what it treats, whether a generic exists, and how long it stays in your body.
Beta blockers (beta-adrenergic antagonists) are heart and blood-pressure medicines. They treat high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), certain irregular heartbeats, and heart failure, and are used to improve survival after a heart attack. Some are also used for migraine prevention, tremor, and an overactive thyroid.
How they work: They block beta-adrenergic receptors (beta-1 and beta-2), the sites adrenaline acts on. This slows the heart rate and reduces the force of each beat, lowering blood pressure and easing the heart's workload.
What everyone taking one should know
Stopping a beta blocker suddenly can cause serious heart problems — any change should be made by a prescriber, never stopped all at once. Beta blockers can also mask the racing-heart warning signs of low blood sugar in people with diabetes.
| Drug | Safety | Generic? | Treats |
|---|---|---|---|
| timolol maleate | 72/100 | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Open-Angle Glaucoma |
| nebivolol hydrochloride | 70/100 | Brand only | Malignant Hypertension |
| propranolol hydrochloride Half-life: about 3 to 6 hours | 70/100 | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Esophageal and Gastric Varices |
| pindolol | 68/100 | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Hypertension |
| acebutolol hydrochloride | unrated | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Hypertension |
| atenolol Half-life: about 6 to 7 hours | unrated | Yes | Angina Pectoris, Atrial Fibrillation |
| betaxolol hydrochloride | unrated | Brand only | Open-Angle Glaucoma, Hypertension |
| bisoprolol fumarate | unrated | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Heart Failure |
| carvedilol phosphate | unrated | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Heart Failure |
| esmolol hydrochloride | unrated | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Heart Failure |
| labetalol hydrochloride | unrated | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Heart Failure |
| landiolol hydrochloride | unrated | Brand only | Atrial Fibrillation, Atrial Flutter |
| metoprolol succinate Half-life: about 3 to 4 hours | unrated | Brand only | Angina Pectoris, Atrial Fibrillation |
Ranked by our independent recall-safety score (higher is better), which reflects the FDA recall and enforcement record — not effectiveness. A higher score is not medical advice to switch; which drug is right for you is a prescriber’s decision. 9 are unrated (too little regulatory history to score) and sort last.
Sources
Other drug classes: NSAIDs · Statins · Benzodiazepines · Opioids · SSRIs · SNRIs · ACE inhibitors · ARBs · Proton pump inhibitors · Calcium channel blockers · Macrolide antibiotics.
The list is built from the FDA’s Established Pharmacologic Class tags, so it reflects the drugs in this class that we track (one row per active ingredient). Safety scores come from the FDA recall and enforcement record. This is general reference information, not medical advice — do not start, stop or switch a medication based on it; talk to your prescriber or pharmacist.