Beta-blockers prevent cardiac events in Japanese patients with myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
Although the favorable effects of beta-blockers in the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) have been repeatedly demonstrated in Western countries, administration of this drug has been limited in Japan.


RESULTS
The study group of 1,896 patients with MI was retrospectively divided into 1,029 patients treated by beta-blockers and 867 not treated by beta-blockers, and the incidences of cardiac events, consisting of recurrent MI, death because of worsening heart failure, and sudden death, and cardiovascular events, comprising cardiac events and stroke, were compared in both groups. There were 45 cardiac events (4.4%, 30.1 patients/1,000 patients. year) among the beta-blocker group, which was significantly less than the 56 cardiac events (6.5%, 52.3 patients/1,000 patients. year) among the no-beta-blocker group (p<0.05). The total mortality was 92 (8.9%, 61.6 patients/1,000 patients. year) and 124 (14.3%, 115.8 patients/1,000 patients. year), respectively, and cardiac death occurred in 42 (4.1%, 28.1 patients/1,000 patients. year) and 53 (6.1%, 49.5 patients/1,000 patients. year), respectively, indicating that both these events occurred significantly less in the beta-blocker group (p<0.01 and p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Beta-blockers prevent cardiac events in Japanese patients with MI. However, a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter, clinical trial conducted on a large scale in Japan would further contribute more precise information of the useful effects of beta-blockers.
Ishikawa
Kinji
K
Department of Cardiology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan.
Miyataka
Masaru
M
Kimura
Akio
A
Takeda
Norihiro
N
Hirano
Yutaka
Y
Hayashi
Takahiro
T
Kanamasa
Ken
K
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists