title: Beta-blockers for chronic heart failure: from prejudice to enlightenment.
abstract: Experience accumulated from several large trials strongly suggest that beta-blockers should be used for the management of congestive heart failure (CHF). Beta-blockade should be added to conventional therapy such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and digoxin, as this was the approach used in the major trials. It is appropriate to treat patients with mild, moderate and, when stable, severe CHF. The benefits obtained include improvements in left ventricular function, reductions in symptoms and morbidity, improvement of quality of life, and delay of clinical progression, reflected by a reduced need for hospitalization and a reduction in mortality. Beta-blockers are much better tolerated, when used appropriately in selected patients, than was previously supposed.
authors.affiliation: MRC Clinical Research Initiative in Heart Failure, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cleland
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McGowan
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cowburn
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D000075202:Contraindications; D005080:Exercise Test; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists