Respiratory function in the elderly and the effects of beta blockade.

Bronchoconstriction, the main respiratory side effect from beta-blocking drugs, can be severe and precipitous in patients with asthma, but at most is very minor in patients with chronic bronchitis. Elderly patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis appear to run a similar risk from beta-blocking drugs as younger patients with these conditions, though there are no direct comparisons. Several studies have looked at the response of elderly patients to beta-blocking drugs, and the profile and incidence of respiratory side effects has been similar to those seen in studies of younger subjects. There is a greater danger in the elderly that a past history of asthma may be overlooked or that bronchoconstriction from a beta-blocking drug is attributed to other causes.