Usefulness of β-blocker therapy and outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension
The American Journal of Cardiology, 05/15/2012
Clinical Article
So PPS et al. – β–blocker use is not uncommon in a select group of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and cardiac co–morbidities and did not appear to exert detrimental effects in clinical, functional, and hemodynamic outcomes. Further randomized data are needed to evaluate the potential benefits and risks of β–blocker use in patients with PAH.
Methods- This is a prospective cohort study of 94 consecutive patients with PAH divided into 2 groups with and without β–blocker use at baseline.
- Rate of all–cause mortality, PAH–related hospitalization, change in 6–minute walk test, right ventricular structure and function measured by echocardiography, and hemodynamics measured by right heart catheterization were determined between subjects with and without β–blocker use.
- Beta–blocker use was common (28%) in this cohort.
- After a median follow–up of 20 months, changes in pulmonary hemodynamics and right ventricular size and function were similar between groups.
- There were no statistically significant differences in adverse events including PAH–related hospitalization or all–cause mortality (p = 0.19), presence of right HF by last visit (p = 0.75), or change in last 6–minute walk distance (p = 0.92).
