beta-Adrenergic Blocker side effects compared: 7 drugs, 205,349 FDA adverse event reports
Members
| Drug | FAERS reports | Serious | Death outcome | Boxed warning | Top labeled signals | Unlabeled (unassessed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atenolol | 132,467 | 70% | 11,274 | – | Bradycardia; Renal failure acute; Coronary artery disease | Nephrogenic anaemia; Angina unstable |
| Nebivolol | 33,545 | 70% | 2,385 | – | Cardiac failure chronic | Hyperkalaemia; Hypomagnesaemia |
| Nebivolol | 15,829 | 92% | 1,539 | – | Infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive airways disease; Renal ischaemia; Sinus rhythm | Cutaneous lupus erythematosus; Vascular purpura |
| Labetalol (Labetalol Hydrochloride) | 13,242 | 76% | 1,362 | – | Withdrawal hypertension | Premature baby; Premature delivery |
| Nadolol | 7,530 | 70% | 612 | boxed | Weight decreased; Colitis; Bradycardia | Macular degeneration; Anaemia |
| Labetalol (Labetalol Hydrochloride) | 1,940 | 69% | 179 | – | Diabetes mellitus inadequate control; Heart rate decreased; Transaminases increased | Premature baby; Premature delivery |
| Pindolol | 796 | 68% | 63 | – | – | Rhabdomyolysis; Oesophagitis |
Class-wide signals (flagged in at least 4 of 7 members)
No term is flagged in at least half the members.
Member-specific signals (flagged in exactly one drug)
| Reaction | Drug | Reports | PRR | Label screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macular degeneration | Nadolol | 831 | 208.8 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Low birth weight baby | Labetalol | 409 | 85.9 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Pre-eclampsia | Labetalol | 238 | 83.7 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Polydactyly | Labetalol | 51 | 73.2 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Vaginal discharge | Nadolol | 189 | 53.4 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Paraesthesia oral | Nadolol | 245 | 48.3 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Oral candidiasis | Nadolol | 196 | 42.6 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Foetal growth restriction | Labetalol | 133 | 35.6 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Electric shock | Atenolol | 124 | 27.0 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Hepatic encephalopathy | Nadolol | 85 | 25.6 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Granuloma skin | Atenolol | 111 | 24.4 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Procedural pain | Nadolol | 230 | 23.3 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Hepatic cirrhosis | Nadolol | 131 | 19.6 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Rectal haemorrhage | Nadolol | 263 | 17.1 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Colitis | Nadolol | 202 | 15.0 | Labeled adverse reaction |
| Colitis ulcerative | Nadolol | 207 | 13.0 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Haematochezia | Nadolol | 240 | 12.2 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Intervertebral discitis | Atenolol | 132 | 11.8 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Infusion related reaction | Nadolol | 268 | 11.3 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Ascites | Nadolol | 96 | 9.1 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Sinus bradycardia | Atenolol | 518 | 8.9 | Labeled adverse reaction |
| Atrioventricular block first degree | Atenolol | 214 | 8.1 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Dyspepsia | Nadolol | 284 | 8.1 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Panniculitis | Atenolol | 115 | 7.9 | Not in label — unassessed |
| Hypertensive crisis | Nebivolol | 137 | 7.8 | Likely indication confounding |
Common questions
Which beta-adrenergic blocker has the most FDA adverse event reports?
Atenolol has the most FAERS co-reports in this class (132,467), followed by Nebivolol (33,545). Report volume tracks how widely and how long a drug has been used, and how much attention it has had, far more than its risk.
Which side effects are shared across beta-adrenergic blocker drugs?
No reaction term is flagged in at least half of the members; the signals in this class are largely product-specific or population-specific.
Does a FAERS signal mean the drug causes the reaction?
No. These are disproportionality signals from voluntary reports with no denominator. Each is screened against the FDA label (known vs unlabeled) on the drug pages; causality needs temporality, dose-response, plausibility and trial or cohort evidence.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, seriousness and death counts from openFDA count queries. Generated 2026-10-08. Not medical advice.