title: Experience with beta blockers in heart failure mortality trials.
abstract: Recent investigations have indicated that chronic heart failure can be reversed with agents that inhibit the reninangiotensin-aldosterone or sympathetic nervous system, such as angiontensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta blockers. A meta-analysis of clinical trials of ACE inhibition in chronic heart failure reported reductions in mortality ranging from 13 to 33%, but as ACE inhibitors do not block chronic noradrenergic stimulation of the heart, mortality remains unacceptably high. Beta blockers have been shown to increase left ventricular ejection fraction, reduce end-systolic and end-diastolic cardiac dimensions, improve quality of life, and reduce mortality. All-cause mortality in the US Carvedilol trial was reduced 65%, and in MERIT-HF there was a 49% reduction in mortality from heart failure among patients receiving metoprolol CR/XL. MERIT-HF was ended early because of evidence of survival benefit. Although certain effects of beta blockers may be considered class effects, it is not yet clear whether there are differences between beta 1-selective antagonists and nonselective agents. The benefits conferred across differences in disease severity, race, and age should be answered as large ongoing and planned clinical trials of beta blockers are completed.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75216, USA.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors