By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

People who suffer from osteoarthritis have few pain-relieving options outside of surgery and joint replacement. Opioids are usually not prescribed for osteoarthritis (OA) and over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen provide only mild relief or may have side effects if taken too often.

Some OA patients may have another treatment option already sitting in their medicine cabinets: blood pressure medication.

In a retrospective study, researchers at the University of Nottingham analyzed health data for over 223,000 people in the UK and found that patients taking two beta-blockers commonly prescribed for high blood pressure -- propranolol and atenolol -- made fewer trips to the doctor to be treated for knee and hip pain compared to those who don’t use the drugs. When patients stopped taking propranolol and atenolol, they had more office visits for joint pain.

The findings, recently published in the journal Rheumatology, suggest that beta-blockers have analgesic properties and may even slow the progression of osteoarthritis, a joint disorder that leads to thinning of cartilage in the knees, hips, fingers and spine. About 10% of men and 18% of women over age 60 have some form of osteoarthritis. .  

"Our findings suggest that atenolol could be considered for people with osteoarthritis and comorbidities for which beta blockers are indicated," co-authors Georgina Nakafero, PhD, and Abhishek Abhishek, PhD, said in a news release. "Similarly, propranolol may be a suitable analgesic for people with OA and comorbid anxiety.

"If these findings are confirmed in independent studies, and in a confirmatory randomized controlled trial, it may change clinical practice."

Previous research has suggested that beta-blockers have antinociceptive effects that help block pain signals. A 2017 study found the drugs lowered pain scores and reduced opioid use in 873 patients with OA. But a larger study failed to confirm those findings.

Two FDA advisory committees recently voted against recommending tanezumab, an experimental non-opioid pain reliever, as a treatment for osteoarthritis due to possible side effects. The agency has yet to make a final decision on the drug. If approved, tanezumab would be the first new class of medication for osteoarthritis in well over a decade.