Bisoprolol vs Carvedilol: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Bisoprolol | Carvedilol | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | alpha-Adrenergic Blocker, beta-Adrenergic Blocker |
| Brand names | Bisoprolol Fumarate | – |
| FAERS reports | 135,055 | 134,417 |
| Serious | 97% | 70% |
| Death outcome | 14,918 | 16,351 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Bisoprolol | Carvedilol | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiac failure chronic | 514 · PRR 21.2 | 338 · PRR 13.4 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Left ventricular dysfunction | 595 · PRR 15.1 | 337 · PRR 8.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Likely indication confounding |
| Diastolic dysfunction | 285 · PRR 15.6 | 202 · PRR 10.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Likely indication confounding |
| Carotid arteriosclerosis | 123 · PRR 21.1 | 77 · PRR 12.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Bisoprolol
- Tension headache — n=431, PRR 17.2 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Carvedilol
- Cardiac failure congestive — n=4,455, PRR 9.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Renal failure chronic — n=356, PRR 7.4 Labeled (related wording)
- Bundle branch block left — n=260, PRR 10.1 Labeled (related wording)
- Ventricular hypokinesia — n=211, PRR 10.9 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Bisoprolol or Carvedilol?
Bisoprolol has 135,055 FAERS reports and Carvedilol 134,417. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (97% vs 70%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Bisoprolol and Carvedilol share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for cardiac failure chronic, left ventricular dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, carotid arteriosclerosis. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Bisoprolol or Carvedilol safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.