title: Antiarrhythmic efficacy of solitary beta-adrenergic blockade for patients with sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
abstract: To assess the efficacy and predictability of solitary beta-adrenergic blocker (BB) therapy for ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT), 30 patients (16 men and 14 women) with a mean age of 55 years, who initially had sustained ventricular tachycardia (70%) or ventricular fibrillation (30%), were studied. Results of baseline arrhythmia tests showed VT on ECG monitoring in 57% of the patients, during exercise in 50%, induced by programmed stimulation in 69%, increasing to 86% during isoproterenol. BB therapy prevented inducible VT during programmed stimulation in 37% of the patients, prevented VT on ECG monitoring in 54%, and prevented VT during exercise in 83%. Long-term BB therapy was given to 24 of 30 patients, whereas six other patients with hemodynamically unstable VT during BB therapy received other long-term treatment. During a mean follow-up of 824 days, 6 of 24 patients had recurrent VT. BB therapy was discontinued in two patients because of side effects. Long-term success was predicted by left ventricular ejection fraction greater than 45%, absence of coronary disease, and age less than 60 years (all p less than 0.02). Neither suppression of arrhythmia during exercise testing, nor results of programmed stimulation or ECG monitoring were predictive of outcome. Thus beta-adrenergic blockers can be effective as solitary antiarrhythmic therapy in selected patients with VT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Orange.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brodsky
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Luckett
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Capparelli
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Henry
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists