Study reveals beta-blockers not likely to cause depression ANI | Updated: Mar 15, 2021 16:02 IST Dallas [US], March 15 (ANI): Beta-blockers (medications that reduce your blood pressure) treat various cardiovascular diseases and were not more likely to cause depression compared to other similar treatments, according to new research. The research was published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. While depression may occur during beta-blocker therapy, the research suggests beta-blockers are not the likely cause. Beta-blockers are a class of medications that reduce the heart rate, the heart's workload and the heart's output of blood, which, together, lower blood pressure. They are a common treatment for cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, arrhythmias, chest pains and high blood pressure. Researchers have suspected beta-blockers of having negative psychological side effects, including depression, anxiety, drowsiness, insomnia, hallucinations and nightmares.