Commonly used beta-blocker heart medicines may also reduce the risk of knee and hip osteoarthritis and pain, research suggests. Study co-authors Georgina Nakafero and Abhishek Abhishek, from the University of Nottingham in England noted that no “specific therapy exists for OA [osteoarthritis] and medical management focuses on analgesia,” but that “currently used analgesics have modest efficacy for OA pain, and drugs such as NSAIDs and opioids frequently cause side effects.”

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 112,000 people aged 40 and older in the United Kingdom, who began a first-ever beta-blocker regimen, defined as at least two prescriptions within a 60-day period. They were compared with an equal number of people who weren’t prescribed beta-blockers.

A beta-blocker prescription was associated with a reduced cumulative risk for knee arthritis, knee pain and hip pain consultations in primary care, according to the study. Two specific beta-blockers, propranolol and atenolol, were both associated with a lower incidence of knee arthritis and knee pain consultations.

Beta-blockers were also associated with a reduced risk of consultation for large-joint, lower-limb arthritis and related pain, according to the study.