beta blocker treatment and other prognostic variables in patients with clinical evidence of heart failure after acute myocardial infarction: evidence from the AIRE study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine clinical outcomes associated with optional beta blockade in a population of patients with evidence of heart failure after myocardial infarction.


METHODS
Data from the acute infarction ramipril efficacy (AIRE) study were analysed retrospectively. At baseline 22.3% of the patients were receiving a beta blocker. To minimise confounding, beta blocker and diuretic treatments, presence of clinical signs of heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction, and 16 other baseline clinical variables were simultaneously entered in a multivariate Cox regression model. In addition, the same analysis was repeated separately within a high and a low risk group of patients, as defined according to the need for diuretic treatment.


RESULTS
beta Blocker treatment was an independent predictor of reduced risk of total mortality (hazard ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0. 48 to 0.90) and progression to severe heart failure (0.58, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.83) for the entire study population. There were similar findings in high risk patients requiring diuretics (0.59, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.86; and 0.58, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.89).


CONCLUSIONS
beta Blocker treatment is associated with improved outcomes in patients with clinical evidence of mild to moderate heart failure after myocardial infarction. Most importantly, high risk patients with persistent heart failure appear to benefit at least as much as lower risk patients with transient heart failure.
Spargias
K S
KS
Institute for Cardiovascular Research, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Hall
A S
AS
Greenwood
D C
DC
Ball
S G
SG
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D017257:Ramipril / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D004232:Diuretics; D017257:Ramipril