Patients with acute traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are more likely to survive when they’re given beta blockers in the hospital, according to a multicenter study led by Cedars-Sinai.

Eric Ley, MD, director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and the Trauma/Surgical Care Fellowship Program, analyzed outcomes for TBI patients across 15 trauma centers in the U.S. and Canada. He found that patients who were treated with a common blood pressure medication within one day of hospital admission were three times more likely to survive their injuries than patients who weren’t given the drug.

Read: Heads Up: When Minor Head Injuries Aren't Minor at All

Investigators have long known that beta blockers blunt trauma-inflicted inflammation by calming an overresponse of stress chemicals in the body. Ley’s analysis indicates that this reduction in stress chemicals can save lives. His findings inspired a shift in trauma-care guidelines: The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma now encourages physicians to give beta blockers to TBI patients within a day of hospitalization, with exceptions for patients with certain conditions such as low blood pressure. 

Ley is developing a multicenter randomized controlled trial to further support his findings.

Read: Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury