Beta-adrenergic blockers added to conventional therapy significantly increase survival to a 5-year rate similar to cardiac transplantation and reduce hospitalizations in heart failure patients.
Do beta-adrenergic-blocking agents improve survival and reduce hospitalizations in patients with heart failure?
Beta-blockers are a proven, life-saving standard of care for heart failure that significantly improve survival and reduce hospitalizations.
beta-Adrenergic-blocking agents underwent extensive research over the past 2 decades and emerged as a proven state-of-art therapy for the failing human heart. Through blockade of chronically elevated cardiac adrenergic stimulation, selective and nonselective agents with vasodilating properties prevent progression of myocardial dysfunction and cardiac remodeling. Most important, beta-adrenergic blockers added to conventional therapy of vasodilators and diuretics significantly increase survival to a 5-year rate similar to that of cardiac transplantation. The agents also significantly reduce hospitalizations, improve quality of life, and are well tolerated in clinical trials. The challenge in treating heart failure is to ensure that every eligible patient receives these life-saving drugs.
Munger et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Heart failure. beta-Adrenergic-blocking agents vs. Conventional therapy (vasodilators and diuretics) was evaluated. Beta-adrenergic blockers added to conventional therapy significantly increase survival to a 5-year rate similar to cardiac transplantation and reduce hospitalizations in heart failure patients.