Prescription of beta-blockers in patients with advanced heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Clinical implications and survival

Background: The effects of beta-blockers in patients with heart failure (HF) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) are not well established. Aims: To assess the association between beta-blocker prescription at discharge and mortality in a cohort of patients with advanced HF and preserved LVEF. Methods and results: We prospectively studied a cohort of 443 patients with advanced HF and preserved LVEF (LVEF >= 40%). Mean age was 78 years, 56% female, 33% NYHA class IV. Overall, 227 patients (51%) had a beta-blocker prescribed at discharge. Mean duration of follow-up was 25 ( 18) months. Death (all cause) occurred in 40 patients (17.6%) who were receiving a beta-blocker at discharge and 73 patients (33.8%) who were not on a beta-blocker. In multivariate Cox analysis, including adjustment for propensity score, prescription of a beta-blocker remained associated with a 43% relative mortality risk reduction (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.88, p=0.01). Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with advanced HF and preserved LVEF, prescription of a beta-blocker was associated with a significant mortality reduction. This beneficial effect of beta-blocker use needs to be further confirmed in prospective, randomised clinical trials. (c) 2006 European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.