The importance of pre‐ and postinfarction angina on timolol‐related reduction in mortality and reinfarction

The importance of a history of angina pectoris on long-term timolol treatment after myocardial infarction was studied with respect to mortality and reinfarction. The analyses were performed retrospectively using cohorts from the Norwegian timolol multicenter study. In patients without angina pectoris prior to the infarction, timolol treatment reduced mortality by 61% and the occurrence of first nonfatal reinfarction by 16.9% as compared with placebo. Patients with preinfarction angina had a reduction in mortality of 21.8% and in first nonfatal reinfarction of 48.6%. The frequency of angina pectoris increased from 38% in both treatment groups before the infarction to 59% in the placebo group and 52% in the timolol group the first 6 months after the infarction. In patients without postinfarction angina pectoris, timolol treatment reduced mortality by 30.7% and the number of first nonfatal reinfarctions by 22.7%. The reductions in mortality and reinfarction in patients with postinfarction angina were 43.8% and 38.5%, respectively. Thus, the decision for timolol treatment after myocardial infarction should not be dependent on pre- and postinfarction angina.