Study re beta -blockers

[45sue]

This link questions use of beta- blockers in some cases in light of current treatments.

medscape.com/viewarticle/se...

What to do ?

[BeKind28-]

Hello

I think for me I know what to do which is keep it simple and follow what my Surgeon and Doctor suggest I take x

[DWizza]

I got as far as “ The reality is that before troponins, we probably missed most small heart attacks. Now, most infarcts are small, and most patients walk away from their heart attacks with essentially normal hearts. Do beta-blockers still matter? If you're a fan of Cochrane reviews, the answer is yes. …”

I found it hard to read , more like someone’s ramblings and reminiscing.

I’m just grateful my doctor at A&E did a second troponin test that confirmed my heart attack and resulted in angiogram showing blocked arteries that led to quadruple CABG. I struggled on my initial statin , got it changed and happy. Couldn’t get to the part about beta blockers but I’m on low dose and will stick for the time being .

[ChaiWallah]

Hello Sue

Thanks for highlighting this issue. I totally agree with BeKind28-'s response to your question regarding 'What to do?'.

Regarding research results in this area, it's still very much much a case of 'better safe than sorry' re beta blockers. The writer himself states, "Do beta-blockers work? Well, yes, obviously, for heart failure and atrial fibrillation".

(By heart failure, I assume he means cases where people have a reduced ejection fraction).

Up until the point where the writer asks 'Do beta-blockers work?' most of his opinions stem from research about the use of beta blockers by heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (that is, the heart is pumping blood from the left ventricle at normal levels).

I followed the writer's link to the original research article in the New England Medical Journal. The Journal had an editorial and a letter in response to the article. These highlighted limitations to the research. Both the letter and the editorial emphasised the need for great caution before stopping beta blockers because further research is necessary regarding heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction.

I have an interest in research on medications for heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction because I fall into that category. I'm continuing to use of beta blockers because I haven't seen any research to date that is sufficiently compelling to make me raise a query with the recommendations from my cardiologist and GP plus the other members of my cardiology team.