beta-adrenergic blocking agent
- noun
- /ˈbeɪtə ˌædrəˈnɜrdʒɪk ˈblɑkɪŋ ˈeɪdʒənt/
- Specialized
:
agente bloqueador beta-adrenérgico
- A beta-adrenergic blocking agent can help manage certain types of arrhythmias by slowing the heart rate.
Examples
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Patients with high blood pressure may be prescribed a beta-adrenergic blocking agent to control their condition.
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A beta-adrenergic blocking agent can help lower blood pressure.
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Some athletes are prohibited from using any beta-adrenergic blocking agent due to its effect on heart function.
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Many patients benefit from beta-adrenergic blocking agents for heart conditions.
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A beta-adrenergic blocking agent can effectively treat hypertension by reducing the heart's workload.
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Doctors often recommend a beta-adrenergic blocking agent to patients experiencing irregular heartbeats.
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Using a beta-adrenergic blocking agent can help patients feel more at ease during stressful situations.
Synonyms
7
3.9
A medicine that lowers blood pressure and heart rate and treats some heart rhythm problems
A drug that lowers heart rate and treats high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats
A medicine that slows the heart and lowers blood pressure
Surface Forms
Morphology
beta-adrenergic + block + agent
The headword contains the transparent compound 'blocking agent' (an agent that blocks), so the general idea — a substance that blocks something — is derivable from the parts. However, 'beta-adrenergic' is a technical, domain-specific modifier whose precise meaning (relating to beta-adrenergic receptors/effects) is not predictable from everyday vocabulary at B1, so the full biomedical sense requires specialist knowledge. Because part of the phrase is compositional but the crucial modifier is technical, the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Beta-adrenergic blocking agent is named for what it does: it blocks signals from the body's beta-adrenergic system that tell the heart to beat faster, so the heart beats more slowly and with less force. That's why these medicines are used to 'slow the heart' and help with high blood pressure or 'irregular heartbeats'.