Key Points
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term timolol therapy in reducing mortality and reinfarction among diabetic patients recovering from myocardial infarction.
- Retrospective analysis of N=99 diabetic patients randomized to timolol or placebo in the Norwegian timolol multicenter study.
- Patients received timolol at a dosage of 10 mg twice daily with a follow-up duration of 12–33 months (mean: 17 months).
- All-cause mortality was significantly lower in the timolol group than in the placebo group (6 deaths vs. 14 deaths; 62.8% reduction, P < 0.05).
- Nonfatal reinfarction occurred in 2 timolol-treated patients compared with 10 placebo-treated patients (82.7% reduction, P < 0.05).
- Diabetic patients showed clinical benefit and adverse effect rates comparable to nondiabetic cohorts, with an observed tendency toward slight carbohydrate intolerance.
Structured PICO
Does timolol reduce mortality and reinfarction in diabetic patients after myocardial infarction?
PPopulation99 diabetic patients after myocardial infarction
IInterventionTimolol 10 mg twice daily
OOutcomeOverall mortalityhard clinical
Timolol significantly reduces mortality and nonfatal reinfarction in diabetic patients following myocardial infarction, though it may induce slight carbohydrate intolerance.