Beta blocker therapy in African American patients with heart failure

Data from a number of clinical trials of beta blocker therapy in heart failure, although limited in the size of African American patients included, suggest that they achieve a similar benefit as Caucasians. African Americans were usually at higher risk when enrolled in all of these studies with a higher incidence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The only exception is the Beta Blocker Evaluaition of Survival Trial ( BEST) that studied the efficacy of Bucindolol in heart filaure. In that study there appeared to be a unique differential effect in Afrcian Americans compared to Caucasians which may have been inpart related to the severity of the disease.