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Beta-blockers reduced mortality in PCI for acute MI
Use of beta-blockers in the PCI setting was associated with decreased mortality and preserved diastolic function among patients with acute MI, according to recent findings published in Heart.
Evidence from the pre-thrombolytic era resulted in beta-blockers becoming the standard of care for MI, according to the investigators. They examined a multicenter registry to determine how beta-blockers have affected acute MI and preserved systolic function in the era of PCI in a cohort of 3,019 patients. Accrual occurred between 2004 and 2009.
Besides PCI, eligible participants had left ventricular ejection fractions ≥50% as evaluated by ECG performed during the index PCI. Participants also lived through discharge.
The primary endpoint was the association between beta-blocker use and all-cause or cardiac death within 3 years.
There were 595 patients who did not receive beta-blockers. All-cause mortality was 10.8% in the non-beta-blocker group and 5.7% in the beta-blocker group (P<.001). Cardiac death also was higher in the non-beta-blocker group (7.6% vs. 2.6%; P<.0001).
Multivariable analysis results indicated that use of beta-blockers yielded a significant reduction in all-cause mortality (adjusted HR=0.633; 95% CI, 0.464-0.863) and cardiac death (adjusted HR=0.47; 95% CI, 0.32-0.7).
Propensity score matching led to a similar outcome.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.