Beta blockers are used to slow heart rate, slow the rate of ejection (the shear force) from the heart, and reduce blood pressure. They are used routinely to lower blood pressure in people who have had aortic dissections. At the moment, some people are using them in people with Vascular EDS type IV to try to reduce the risk of aortic and other arterial abnormalities. Whether it is either rational or effective we do not know. It may be too difficult to do a clinical trial given the relatively small number of affected individuals available. An effort should be made to coordinate data collection, however.
Answered by Peter Byers, MD