title: Effect of beta-blocker treatment in dilated cardiomyopathy with bradyarrhythmias.
abstract: This study was performed to evaluate whether beta-blocker therapy was effective in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and bradyarrhythmias supported by pacemaker implantation. Beta-blocker therapy is useful for some patients with DCM, especially those with rapid heart rate or residual nonfibrotic myocardium in the left ventricle, but no data exist on whether beta-blocker therapy is useful in patients with DCM and bradyarrhythmias. The effectiveness of beta-blocker therapy was prospectively evaluated in patients with DCM and bradyarrhythmias supported by pacemaker implantation and compared with those without these arrhythmias. Beta-blocker therapy was started in 63 patients (45 men, 18 women, aged 11-83 years) with DCM, in whom 7 had bradyarrhythmias and 56 did not. These bradyarrhythmias were atrioventricular block, sick sinus syndrome and atrial fibrillation with slow heart rate. Of the 56 patients without bradyarrhythmias, 42 (75%) (group 1) responded to beta-blocker therapy, but 5 of the 7 with bradyarrhythmias (71%) (group 2) also responded. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension was reduced (6.5 +/- 0.6 cm to 5.6 +/- 0.5 cm; p < 0.0001 in group 1; 6.6 +/- 0.8 cm to 5.5 +/- 0.2 cm; p < 0.02 in group 2) and left ventricular fractional shortening was improved (13 +/- 4% to 27 +/- 7%; p < 0.0001 in group 1; 12 +/- 4% to 29 +/- 10%; p < 0.05, in group 2) to the same degree in both groups. These results indicate that beta-blocker therapy for DCM is effective not only in patients without bradyarrhythmias but also in those with bradyarrhythmias supported with pacemaker implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Japan. in3028@poh.osaka-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suwa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Otake
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017298:Bisoprolol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D017298:Bisoprolol