Beta blockers are commonly prescribed after a heart attack to reduce the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events.

A heart attack occurs when there is insufficient blood flow to part of the heart due to blockages in the coronary arteries. Coronary heart disease, a buildup of plaque in the arteries, usually causes a heart attack.

Heart attacks can sometimes be “silent,” but ah Please note that they often cause symptoms such as:

• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• Pain in other parts of the body, such as the arms or back
• nausea

One indicator of heart health is the ejection fraction. This refers to how well the left ventricle of the heart pumps blood. If someone’s readings are low, it may indicate heart failure.

In the REDUCE-AMI trial, scientists wanted to find out whether beta-blockers reduced the risk of death or another heart attack in people who had a heart attack but whose ejection fraction was still normal. I did.

The trial began in September 2017 and lasted until May 2023. During that time, researchers recruited 5,020 people from 45 medical centers as study participants.

In addition to requiring a normal cardiac ejection fraction, participants also had to undergo coronary angiography during hospitalization. Researchers randomly assigned participants to take beta-blockers (metoprolol or bisoprolol) as long-term treatment, with a median follow-up of 3.5 years.

Scientists found that beta-blockers had an overall I learned that it was not profitable.

In the beta-blocker group, 7.9% of participants experienced what scientists classified as the “primary outcome” of death or new heart attack.

This was only slightly lower than the primary outcome for the non-beta-blocker group, in which 8.3% of participants died or had a new heart attack.

Scientists do not believe this small difference is statistically significant.

After looking more closely at the data, the scientists found that beta-blocker treatment had no significant effect on preventing death from any cause, with a rate of 3.9% in the beta-blocker group and 3.9% in the beta-blocker group. The rate was 4.1% in the non-medication group.

The researchers also found no improvement in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease or hospitalization for atrial fibrillation (AFib) or heart failure in people taking beta-blockers.

These findings challenge the conventional belief that beta-blockers are universally beneficial after a heart attack.

“We are excited to announce that this new study is the first step in the study,” said study principal investigator Thomas Jarnberg, MD, professor of cardiology and director of clinical sciences at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Today’s medical news About his research.

“I think the guidelines will change and reduce the prescription of beta-blockers for patients who have had a heart attack and have preserved (or normal) heart function, which is about half of all heart patients.” ,” Jernberg said.

However, Professor Jernberg stressed that the study was only carried out in patients with normal heart function after a heart attack, not in patients with reduced ejection fraction.

He noted that a limitation of the study was that it was an open study compared to a placebo control, but said this “should not affect the primary outcomes of death or new myocardial infarction.”

“For patients with reduced cardiac function or heart failure, beta-blockers have been shown to improve survival and symptoms. As a patient, never stop taking beta-blockers without first consulting your doctor. You shouldn’t.”

— Tomas Jernberg, Principal Investigator

Although beta-blockers are effective for a variety of reasons and can lower heart rate and blood pressure, there are some drawbacks to taking beta-blockers.

Dr. Khashayar Hematpour, a cardiovascular physician at UTHealth Houston Heart & Vascular, discussed the study: MNT He noted that while beta-blockers are “overall well-tolerated,” some people may experience side effects.

“[Beta-blockers] In general, it can cause excessive slowing of the heart rate, worsening of heart failure and asthma, depression, headaches and dizziness,” Hematopur said.

“It can also cause other less common side effects, such as Raynaud’s phenomenon and hepatitis.”

other Beta blocker side effects May include:

• Malaise
• weakness
• bradycardia
• amnesia
• sexual dysfunction

“We’re excited to announce that this is the first time we’ve had patients with heart disease,” said Dr. Chen-Han Chen, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California. MNT About studying.

“Although this single study may not immediately change long-standing practice regarding beta-blockers in patients with normal left ventricular function after myocardial infarction, other similar trials examining this same question is underway,” Chen said.

“If these other trials also show no benefit in this population, our clinical practice may actually change,” he added.

Chen added that not prescribing beta-blockers to patients with normal heart function may make medication management less stressful.

“Patients who have experienced a heart attack may be receiving many new drugs as part of their new drug therapy. These patients may find it difficult to manage all these new drugs and may not benefit. Streamlining medications can help improve patient compliance with new regimens.”

— Chen Han Chen, cardiologist

Professor Hematopour said that while the study was a “very well-conducted clinical study”, there were weaknesses in the results.

“Both doctors and patients were aware of whether a particular person was receiving a beta-blocker. This could introduce certain biases in the results,” Hematopour said.