The beta blocker contraindication in cocaine associated chest pain: a myth?

From a recent study:

Beta blockers are indicated for management of acute coronary syndromes, but they generally are withheld in patients with cocaine-associated chest pain because of concerns for adverse outcomes related to the unique physiological effects of cocaine. Because few clinical studies have evaluated this interaction, we identified patients with toxicology screen results positive for cocaine treated for chest pain at 2 academic hospitals...patients treated with β blockers experienced similar peak troponin levels, individual adverse events, and rates of the composite primary end point (15.9% vs 12.3%, p = 0.32). The primary end point also was similar after propensity score analysis (odds ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 0.64 to 2.93, p = 0.42), including specific comparisons of beta-1 selective (odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 4.24) and nonselective (odds ratio 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.33 to 2.42) β blockers, when compared with patients not receiving β blockers. In conclusion, no differences in outcomes were observed between patients treated versus not treated with β-blocker therapy in the setting of cocaine-related chest pain.