Why the study?
Does metoprolol CR/XL improve outcomes in elderly patients with systolic heart failure?
Does metoprolol CR/XL improve outcomes in elderly patients with systolic heart failure?
Metoprolol CR/XL is safe and effective in elderly patients with systolic heart failure, emphasizing the need to overcome barriers to beta-blocker prescription in this population.
Supports beta-blocker use in elderly systolic HF; leaves open dedicated RCTs to confirm outcome benefits.
Metoprolol CR/XL was easily instituted, safe and well tolerated in elderly patients with systolic heart failure. The data suggest that these are the patients in whom treatment will have the greatest impact as shown by number of lives saved and number of hospitalisations avoided. The time has come to overcome the barriers that physicians perceive to beta-blocker treatment, and to provide it to the large number of elderly patients with heart failure in need of this therapy.
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P DEEDWANIA (2004) studied this question.
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