This observational study aimed to investigate the association between beta-blocker therapy and clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), especially with mid-range or preserved left ventricular systolic function.
Among 13,624 patients enrolled in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry-National Institute of Health (KAMIR-NIH), 12,200 in-hospital survivors were selected. Patients with beta-blockers showed significantly lower 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE), which was a composite of cardiac death, MI, revascularization and readmission due to heart failure (9.7 vs. 14.3/100 patient-year; hazard ratio [HR] 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.97; P=0.022). However, this association had a significant interaction with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Beta-blocker therapy at discharge was associated with lower 1-year MACE in patients with LVEF ≤40% (HR 0.63; 95% CI 0.48-0.81; P<0.001), and 40% Beta-blocker therapy at discharge was associated with better 1-year clinical outcomes in patients with reduced or mid-range LVEF after AMI, but not in patients with preserved LVEF. These data suggested that the long-term beta-blocker therapy may be guided by LVEF.

© Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Author