title: [Beta-blocking drugs indicated in patients with heart failure].
abstract: Until recently, beta-blocking drugs were considered to be contraindicated in patients with chronic heart failure. However, several well-conducted randomised clinical trials have now proven otherwise. Yet, it was still not clear whether nonselective alpha-, beta 1- and beta 2-receptor blockade with carvedilol would be superior to selective beta 1-receptor blockade with metoprolol. One of the studies ('Carvedilol or metoprolol European trial' (COMET)) demonstrated a statistically significant 17% reduction of all-cause mortality with carvedilol. Although striking, the results may have been influenced by differences in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as the short-acting formula of metoprolol that was used. Furthermore, the 'Carvedilol hibernation reversible ischaemia trial; marker of success' (CHRISTMAS) study demonstrated myocardial hibernation in the majority of ischaemic heart-failure patients, and showed beneficial effects on left-ventricle function with carvedilol in both hibernated and non-hibernated patients. Despite this and the rest of the overwhelming evidence, at present only a minority of eligible chronic heart-failure patients are treated with beta-blockers.
authors.affiliation: Thoraxcentrum, afd. Cardiologie, Academisch Ziekenhuis, Postbus 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen. a.a.voors@thorax.azg.nl
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Voors
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: van Gilst
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: van Veldhuisen
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077261:Carvedilol; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D002227:Carbazoles; D011412:Propanolamines; D000077261:Carvedilol; D008790:Metoprolol