(Wall Street Journal) – Influencers have described propranolol as a magic pill that eases nervous jitters in all kinds of settings. Prescriptions are on the rise, especially for young women.

Compared to benzodiazepines, such as Xanax or Valium, propranolol is considered nonaddictive and is among the “mildest variety of anti-anxiety medication,” he says, but it is not without risk. Because propranolol works to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, if you reduce it too much, the person could faint.

When pharmaceuticals cross over into popular culture, prescriptions reliably rise. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing: As GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have proliferated in the U.S., for instance, obesity rates have fallen, if only slightly. But are nervous jitters really enough to merit medical intervention? (Read More)