title: Comparative long term effects of nebivolol and carvedilol in hypertensive heart failure patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Beta-blockers improve left ventricular (LV) systolic function and prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), but their different pleiotropic properties may influence their cardiovascular effects. This open-label study compared the effects of long-term treatment with nebivolol versus carvedilol on LV ejection fraction (LVEF), in hypertensive CHF patients. Secondary end points were to assess the effect of the 2 beta-blockers on exercise capacity and clinical outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 160 hypertensive CHF patients, with LVEF <40% and in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I, II, or III, were randomly assigned to receive nebivolol or carvedilol for 24 months. At baseline and at the end of treatment, all patients underwent clinical evaluation, echocardiography, and 6-minute walking test. The target doses were 10 mg/d for nebivolol and 50 mg/d for carvedilol. Compared with baseline values, LVEF increased by a similar extent in the carvedilol (C) and nebivolol (N) groups (C from 36.1% (SD 1.5%) to 40.9% (SD 1.9%), P < .001; N from 34.1% (SD 1.8%) to 38.5% (SF 2.2%), P < .001). Heart rate and NYHA functional class decreased significantly in both groups, and the 6-minute walking distance increased (C from 420 m (SD 104 m) to 490 m (SD 115 m), P < .001; N from 421 m (SD 118 m) to 487 m (SD 138 m), P < .001). During 24 months, 21 carvedilol recipients (26%) and 18 nebivolol recipients (22%) had cardiac events, including 3 and 4 deaths, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the long term, nebivolol and carvedilol appear to be similarly effective in the treatment of hypertensive patients with CHF.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele, Rome, Italy. giuseppe.marazzi@sanraffaele.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marazzi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volterrani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caminiti
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iaia
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Massaro
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sposato
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mercuro
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077261:Carvedilol; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068577:Nebivolol; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001578:Benzopyrans; D002227:Carbazoles; D004983:Ethanolamines; D011412:Propanolamines; D000068577:Nebivolol; D000077261:Carvedilol