Abstract
beta Blockers have been shown to reduce mortality after myocardial infarction (MI) in several large trials. Despite strong evidence supporting the role of beta blockers in treating patients after MI, less than half are prescribed these drugs. The majority of studies demonstrating efficacy of beta blockers in the treatment of the post-MI patients were conducted at a point in time when left ventricular (LV) dysfunction was considered a strong contraindication to their use. In addition, when these studies were carried out a variety of therapies that are known to improve survival were not yet available. In the present era, beta blockers are routinely used to treat patients with heart failure due to systolic dysfunction. Until recently, however, there was uncertainty about their role in the management of patients with LV dysfunction after MI. The recent CAPRICORN (Carvedilol Post-Infarct Survival Control in Left Ventricular Dysfunction) study demonstrated a significant mortality benefit when carvedilol was added to standard therapy in patients with LV dysfunction after MI. This article reviews information regarding the initiation and maintenance of beta blockers in patients with post-MI LV dysfunction.
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