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Biomedical subjects

JoAnne M Foody

Publications and source records attributed to JoAnne M Foody.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Regional differences in process of care and outcomes for older acute myocardial infarction patients in the United States and Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Previous comparisons of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treatment between the United States and Canada are limited because they compared selected patients from randomized trials, used administrative data that lacked clinical detail, or did not consider regional differences in AMI treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: We compared medication use, invasive cardiac procedure use, and 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates of 38,886 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with AMI in the United States and 5634 similarly aged patients in Ontario, Canada, from 1998 and 2001. Baseline characteristics and illness severity across the US regions and Ontario were not substantially different. Cardiac catheterization use in AMI patients was significantly higher in the United States compared with Ontario (38.7% versus 16.8%, P<0.001), but significant regional variations existed, in which the northeastern United States had significantly lower utilization rates (25.6%) compared with other US regions. Beta-blocker use among ideal candidates was highest in the northeastern United States (77.6% versus 69.7% in the United States as a whole, P<0.001) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use was highest in Ontario (69.1% versus 58.2% in the United States, P<0.001). Risk-standardized mortality rates at 30 days were not substantially different across the regions. CONCLUSIONS: Previous studies have suggested a clear divergence in invasive cardiac therapy for AMI patients between the United States and Canada on the basis of health care financing and structural differences. Our findings of similar treatment patterns in the northeastern United States and Ontario suggest that regional practices may have a greater impact on treatment patterns than the respective health care delivery systems.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Risks associated with statin therapy: a systematic overview of randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Although statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, concerns about adverse effects may deter physicians from prescribing these agents. We performed a systematic overview of randomized statin trials to quantify the risks of musculoskeletal, renal, and hepatic complications associated with therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Major statin trials were identified by electronic search of the MEDLINE database from 1966 to December 2005. We included English language reports of adults with documented hyperlipidemia; double-blind, random allocation of > or = 100 patients to statin monotherapy versus placebo; and reports of myalgia, creatine kinase elevations, rhabdomyolysis, transaminase elevations, and discontinuation due to adverse events. Among 74,102 subjects enrolled in 35 trials (follow-up range, 1 to 65 months), statin therapy (excluding cerivastatin) did not result in significant absolute increases in risks of myalgias (risk difference/1000 patients [RD], 2.7; 95% CI, -3.2 to 8.7), creatine kinase elevations (RD, 0.2; 95% CI, -0.6 to 0.9), rhabdomyolysis (RD, 0.4; 95% CI, -0.1 to 0.9), or discontinuation due to any adverse event (RD, -0.5; 95% CI, -4.3 to 3.3). The absolute risk of transaminase elevations was significantly higher with statin therapy (RD, 4.2; 95% CI, 1.5 to 6.9). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of data available from published clinical trials, statin therapy is associated with a small excess risk of transaminase elevations, but not of myalgias, creatine kinase elevations, rhabdomyolysis, or withdrawal of therapy compared with placebo. Further study is necessary to determine whether the results from these published clinical trials are similar to what occurs in routine practice, particularly among patients who are older, have more severe comorbid conditions, or receive higher statin doses than most patients in these clinical trials.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Trends in acute myocardial infarction in 4 US states between 1992 and 2001: clinical characteristics, quality of care, and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Because of the health impact of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), substantial resources have been dedicated to improving AMI care and outcomes. Long-term trends in the clinical characteristics, quality of care, and outcomes for AMI over time from the health system perspective in geographically diverse populations are not well known. METHODS AND RESULTS: The present study included 20,550 Medicare patients aged > or = 65 years hospitalized in 4 US states (Alabama, Connecticut, Iowa, Wisconsin) with the confirmed primary discharge diagnosis of AMI in 4 periods: 1992-1993 (n=10,292), 1995 (n=5566), 1998-1999 (n=2413), and 2000-2001 (n=2279). With the use of standard quality indicator definitions, treatment of ideal candidates with aspirin and beta-blockers within 24 hours after presentation, beta-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors at discharge was assessed. Multivariable models were constructed to calculate adjusted 1-year mortality. The hospitalized Medicare population with AMI changed substantially during 1992-2001, with increasing age, more comorbidity, and fewer meeting ideal treatment criteria. Although treatment rates increased significantly for all medications, aspirin, beta-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were not provided at discharge to 12.6%, 19.7%, and 25.2% of ideal candidates, respectively, in 2000-2001. Crude 1-year mortality increased (27.6%, 28.3%, 30.6%, and 31.0%; P=0.003 for trend, but adjusted mortality declined (compared with 1992-1993, relative risk in 1995=0.94 [95% CI, 0.88 to 1.01]; relative risk in 1998-1999=0.91 [95% CI, 0.85 to 0.98]; relative risk in 2000-2001=0.87 [95% CI, 0.81 to 0.94]). CONCLUSIONS: The quality of care and adjusted 1-year mortality improved significantly for Medicare beneficiaries with AMI during 1992-2001. Nevertheless, fewer were ideal for guideline-based therapy, and absolute mortality remains high, suggesting the need for treatment strategies applicable to a broader range of older patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Delay in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction: effect on quality of care and its assessment.

BACKGROUND: Delay in diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may affect quality of care and its assessment. OBJECTIVES: To examine over time the frequency of delay in AMI diagnosis and the effect of this delay on the quality of patient care and its assessment. METHODS: The authors examined the trend in coded admission diagnosis, age, comorbidities, procedures during hospitalization, and discharge status for 42,406 Connecticut Medicare cases with the principal discharge diagnosis of AMI for the time period 1992 through 2001. For 2,583 cases discharged in 1992 and 1993 and for 1,398 cases discharged in 1998 through 2001, the rates of administration of aspirin (ASA) and beta blocker (BB) on admission and discharge, by admission diagnosis, were ascertained. RESULTS: For patients discharged with the principal diagnosis of AMI over the decade examined, the proportion with this diagnosis on admission fell (59% to 40%, p < 0.001), the proportion with a non-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) admission diagnosis rose (18% to 26%, p < 0.001), and the population aged (proportion older than 85 years of age increased from 16% to 28%, p < 0.001). Patients with ACS as the admission diagnosis more frequently received cardiac catheterization (during 2000-2001, 39% versus 17%, p < 0.001), percutaneous coronary intervention (19% versus 4%, p < 0.001), and evidence-based therapy; during 1998-2001, opportunities to give ASA or BB on admission were fulfilled for 88% versus 73% (p < 0.001), and on discharge, for 87% versus 74% (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of AMI is delayed after admission for a significant proportion of cases who receive care that is measured to be of lower quality. There is a need to more effectively diagnose and treat these cases with delayed diagnosis and to develop new quality measures to address changes in the characteristics of patients who are hospitalized with AMI.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed2006

Serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, and estimators of renal function: mortality in older patients with cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Renal dysfunction predicts increased mortality in cardiovascular patients, but the best renal estimator for quantifying risks is uncertain. We compared admission serum urea nitrogen (SUN) level, creatinine level, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) rate, and Mayo estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) for predicting mortality. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort of Medicare patients (aged > or = 65 years) hospitalized for myocardial infarction (n = 44,437) and heart failure (n = 56,652), renal estimators were compared for linearity with 1-year mortality risk, magnitude of risk, and relative importance for predicting risk (percentage variance explained) in proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The SUN level, creatinine level, and Mayo eGFR had linear associations with mortality. These measures predicted steadily increased risk in patients who experienced a myocardial infarction with a SUN level greater than 17 mg/dL (> 6.1 mmol/L), a creatinine level greater than 1.0 mg/dL (> 88.4 micromol/L), and a Mayo eGFR of less than 100 mL/min per 1.73 m2; and in patients who experienced heart failure with a SUN level greater than 16 mg/dL (> 5.7 mmol/L), a creatinine level greater than 1.1 mg/dL (> 97.2 micromol/L), and a Mayo eGFR of 90 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or less. In contrast, the MDRD eGFR had a J-shaped association and failed to identify increased risks in 50.0% of patients who experienced a myocardial infarction (with an MDRD eGFR > 55 mL/min per 1.73 m2) and 60.0% of patients who experienced heart failure (with an MDRD eGFR > 44 mL/min per 1.73 m2). The SUN level and Mayo eGFR had the greatest magnitude of risks. In myocardial infarction and heart failure patients, adjusted mortality increased by 3% and 7%, respectively, per 5-U increase in SUN, and by 3% and 9%, respectively, per 10-U decrease in Mayo eGFR (P<.001), based on models including both renal measures. Of all the measures, SUN had the greatest magnitude of relative importance for predicting mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In older cardiovascular patients, SUN- and creatinine-based measures were powerful predictors of postdischarge mortality. Only MDRD eGFR was less adequate in quantifying risks for patients with mild impairment. Novel estimators, such as the Mayo eGFR, may play an important role in outcomes' prognostication for these patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Socioeconomic status, treatment, and outcomes among elderly patients hospitalized with heart failure: findings from the National Heart Failure Project.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have reported conflicting findings concerning the association of socioeconomic status (SES), treatment, and outcomes in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical record data from a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with HF between March 1998 and April 1999 (n = 25,086) to assess the association of patient SES, treatment, and outcomes. Patients' SES was designated as lower, lower-middle, higher-middle, and higher using residential ZIP code characteristics. Patients were evaluated for left ventricular systolic function assessment, prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors at discharge, readmission within 1 year of discharge, and mortality within 30 days and 1 year of admission. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to assess the association of SES, quality of care, and outcomes adjusting for patient, physician, and hospital characteristics. RESULTS: Lower SES patients (relative risk [RR] 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.96) were modestly less likely to have had a left ventricular systolic function assessment, but had a similar adjusted likelihood of being prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.93-1.11) compared with higher SES patients after multivariable adjustment. Socioeconomic status was not associated with 30-day mortality after multivariable adjustment, but lower SES patients had a higher risk of 1-year mortality (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.19) and readmission within 1 year of discharge (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03-1.12) compared with higher SES patients. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic status in patients hospitalized with HF was not strongly associated with quality of care or 30-day mortality. However, the increased risk of 1-year mortality and readmission among patients of lower SES suggest SES may influence outcomes after hospitalization for HF.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Quality of care and outcomes of older patients with heart failure hospitalized in the United States and Canada.

BACKGROUND: Health care expenditure per person is significantly higher in the United States compared with Canada, but whether there are differences in quality of care of many conditions is unknown. We compared the process of care and outcomes of patients with heart failure, the most common cause of hospitalization for individuals 65 years and older in both countries. METHODS: We compared processes of care and 30-day and 1-year risk-standardized mortality rates among 28,521 US Medicare beneficiaries and 8180 similarly aged patients in Ontario, Canada, hospitalized with heart failure from 1998 to 2001. RESULTS: More US patients underwent left ventricular ejection fraction assessment during hospitalization compared with Canadian patients (61.2% vs 41.7%, P<.001). At discharge, patients in the United States were prescribed beta-blockers more frequently (28.7% vs 25.4%, P<.001) but angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors less frequently (54.3% vs 63.4%, P<.001). Among ideal candidates, prescription of beta-blockers (32.5% vs 29.7%, P = .08) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (78.3% vs 77.6%, P = .68) was not significantly different between the 2 countries. The US patients had lower risk characteristics on admission and lower crude mortality rates at 30 days and 1 year. Thirty-day risk-standardized mortality was significantly lower for the US patients (8.9% vs 10.7%, P<.001), but 1-year risk-standardized mortality was no longer significantly different (32.2% vs 32.3%, P = .98). CONCLUSION: Patients with heart failure who are hospitalized in the United States had lower short-term mortality at 30 days, but 1-year mortality rates were not significantly different between the United States and Canada.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Anemia and outcomes in patients with heart failure: a study from the National Heart Care Project.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports have suggested that anemia is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF), but were unable to adjust for a broad range of comorbid conditions. As a result, whether anemia is a truly independent predictor of risk or a marker of comorbid illness in these patients is unknown. METHODS: We analyzed medical records from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' National Heart Care Project, a national sample of 50,405 patients 65 years and older admitted to acute care hospitals with a principal discharge diagnosis of HF between April 1, 1998, and March 31, 1999, or between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2001. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to test whether hematocrit level was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and HF-related readmission at 1 year. RESULTS: In unadjusted analysis, lower hematocrit levels were associated with increased 1-year mortality and readmission for HF. Compared with patients with a hematocrit greater than 40% to 44%, those with a hematocrit of 24% or less had a 51% higher risk of death (relative risk [RR], 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-1.68; P<.001) and a 17% higher risk of HF-related readmission (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.01-1.34; P = .04). However, after adjustment for multiple comorbidities and other clinical factors, the association between lower hematocrit levels and increased 1-year mortality was markedly attenuated, even in those patients with the most severe anemia (hematocrit, < or = 24% vs > 40%-44%: RR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.86-1.19; P = .85). The association between lower hematocrit values and HF-related readmission persisted after multivariable adjustment (hematocrit, < or = 24% vs > 40%-44%: RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04-1.38; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Although anemia is an independent predictor of hospital readmission, its relationship with increased mortality in HF patients is largely explained by the severity of comorbid illness. These findings suggest that anemia may be predominantly a marker rather than a mediator of increased mortality risk in older patients with HF.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Aspirin use in older patients with heart failure and coronary artery disease: national prescription patterns and relationship with outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine patterns of aspirin use and the relationship between aspirin prescription and outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF). BACKGROUND: Because of the potential for exacerbating hypertension or renal insufficiency and possible interactions with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, the use of aspirin for secondary prevention of coronary events is controversial in patients with HF. METHODS: We studied a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries > or =65 years old after hospitalization for HF with CAD and without aspirin contraindications between April 1998 and June 2001. We assessed factors associated with aspirin prescription and the relationship between aspirin and outcomes in regression models accounting for differences in patient, physician, and hospital characteristics and for clustering of patients by hospital. RESULTS: Of the 24,012 patients, 54% received aspirin. Treated patients had lower unadjusted rates of death (31% vs. 39% for those not receiving aspirin, p < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, aspirin remained associated with a lower risk of death (risk ratio [RR] 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90 to 0.99). This association was similar regardless of hypertension, renal insufficiency, or treatment with ACE inhibitors (p for all interactions > 0.2). Aspirin also was associated with lower risks of death or all-cause readmission (RR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99) and of death or readmission for HF (RR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Almost one-half of patients with CAD hospitalized for HF in the U.S. are not treated with aspirin. This study found no evidence of harm from aspirin in this population and suggests a treatment benefit. Withholding aspirin based upon theoretical concerns about adverse effects appears to be unjustified.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2005

Prior aspirin use and outcomes in elderly patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the association between prior aspirin use and mortality, all-cause readmission, and condition-specific readmission at one month and six months in a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with a confirmed myocardial infarction (MI). BACKGROUND: Prior aspirin use is considered a marker of higher risk in patients with MI, yet the prognostic significance of this factor has been debated. METHODS: Medicare beneficiaries > or =65 years old hospitalized with MI were evaluated to determine whether there was an association between prior aspirin use and mortality (n = 118,992), all-cause readmission, and condition-specific readmission (n = 78,975) at one month and six months. RESULTS: One-third of the patients (n = 39,531, 33.2%) were using aspirin before admission. Those with prior aspirin use had significantly lower mortality at one month (16.1% vs. 19.0%, p < 0.0001) and six months (24.7% vs. 27.5%, p < 0.0001). After multivariable adjustment, prior aspirin use was found to be associated with a lower risk of one-month (relative risk ratio 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90 to 0.96) and six-month mortality (hazard ratio 0.94, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.96). Prior aspirin use tended to reduce all-cause or coronary artery disease readmissions at one month or six months. CONCLUSIONS: Prior aspirin use is not a marker of increased mortality in patients > or =65 years old hospitalized with MI.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Race and renal impairment in heart failure: mortality in blacks versus whites.

BACKGROUND: Renal impairment is an emerging prognostic indicator in heart failure (HF) patients. Despite known racial differences in the progression of both HF and renal disease, it is unclear whether the prognosis for renal impairment in HF patients differs by race. We sought to determine in HF patients the 1-year mortality risks associated with elevated creatinine and impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to quantify racial differences in mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively evaluated the National Heart Care Project nationally representative cohort of 53,640 Medicare patients hospitalized with HF. Among 5669 black patients, mean creatinine was 1.6+/-0.9 mg/dL, and 54% had an eGFR < or =60, compared with creatinine 1.5+/-0.7 mg/dL and 68% eGFR < or =60 in 47,971 white patients. Higher creatinine predicted increased mortality risk, although the magnitude of risk differed by race (interaction P=0.0001). Every increase in creatinine of 0.5 mg/dL was associated with a >10% increased risk in adjusted mortality for blacks, compared with >15% increased risk in whites (interaction P=0.0001), with the most striking racial disparities at the highest levels of renal impairment. Depressed eGFR showed similar racial differences (interaction P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Impaired renal function predicts increased mortality in elderly HF patients, although risks are more pronounced in whites. Distinct morbidity and mortality burdens in black versus white patients underscore the importance of improving patient risk-stratification, defining optimal therapies, and exploring physiological underpinnings of racial differences.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2005

Lipid management in patients with unstable angina pectoris and non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (from CRUSADE).

We sought to characterize current patterns of care for lipid testing and management in a sample of patients in the Can Rapid Risk Stratification of Unstable Angina Patients Suppress Adverse Outcomes With Early Implementation of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines Quality Improvement Initiative and to determine the most important predictors of lipid testing and management at discharge. We evaluated data from >40,000 patients who had been hospitalized in United States hospitals from March 2000 to March 2003 and had a principal discharge diagnosis of unstable angina pectoris or non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction as part of the initiative.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed2005

Thiazolidinediones, metformin, and outcomes in older patients with diabetes and heart failure: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Insulin-sensitizing drugs of the thiazolidinedione class and metformin are commonly prescribed to treat diabetes in patients with heart failure despite strong warnings from the Food and Drug Administration against this practice. Whether this results in adverse outcomes is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 16,417 Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes discharged after hospitalization with the principal discharge diagnosis of heart failure. The association between antidiabetic drug prescriptions and outcomes was assessed in multivariable hierarchical Cox proportional hazards models, with adjustment for patient, physician, and hospital variables and accounting for the clustering of patients within hospitals. The primary outcome of the study was time to death due to all causes. Secondary outcomes included time to readmission for all causes or for heart failure. Crude 1-year mortality rates were lower among the 2226 patients treated with a thiazolidinedione (30.1%) or the 1861 treated with metformin (24.7%) compared with that among the 12,069 treated with neither insulin-sensitizing drug (36.0%, P= or <0.0001 for both comparisons). In multivariable models, treatment with the thiazolidinediones (hazard ratio [HR] 0.87, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.94) or metformin (HR=0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.97) was associated with significantly lower risks of death. There was no association with treatment with sulfonylureas (HR=0.99, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.08) or insulin (HR=0.96, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.05) and mortality. Admissions for all causes did not differ with either insulin sensitizer. There was a higher risk of readmission for heart failure with thiazolidinedione treatment (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.09) and a lower risk with metformin treatment (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: This observational study suggests that thiazolidinediones and metformin are not associated with increased mortality and may improve outcomes in older patients with diabetes and heart failure. Randomized trials are warranted to corroborate these findings.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Performance of the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) ST-elevation myocardial infarction risk score in a national cohort of elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: The TIMI ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) score was developed and validated in a randomized controlled trial population. We sought to assess its accuracy in a community-based cohort of elderly patients hospitalized with STEMI. METHODS: We evaluated the TIMI STEMI score in 47,882 patients aged > or = 65 years hospitalized with STEMI in US hospitals from 1994 to 1996. We assessed TIMI STEMI score discrimination and calibration for 30-day mortality and compared observed and published TIMI mortality rates. RESULTS: The cohort's median TIMI score was 6 (25th-75th percentile 4, 8). Thirty-day mortality rates were higher among patients with higher TIMI scores (TIMI score 2: 4.4% vs TIMI score > 8: 35.6%, P < .0001 for trend). However, the TIMI score provided only modest discrimination (c = 0.67) and calibration (goodness-of-fit P < .0001). Mortality rates for TIMI scores differed between patients who did and did not receive reperfusion therapy (P < .0001 for TIMI score x reperfusion therapy interaction). Thirty-day mortality rates in the cohort were higher than published TIMI estimates (P = .001; eg, TIMI score 2: 4.4% cohort vs 2.2% published rate). CONCLUSIONS: The TIMI score provided modest prognostic discrimination and calibration among elderly patients with STEMI. Our findings highlight the difficulties in applying risk scores developed in randomized controlled trial cohorts to elderly patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Adverse effects of beta-blocker therapy for patients with heart failure: a quantitative overview of randomized trials.

BACKGROUND: Beta-blockers substantially improve survival in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, but concerns about cardiovascular adverse effects may deter physicians from prescribing this therapy. We performed an overview of randomized beta-blocker trials in patients with HF to quantify the risks of these adverse effects. METHODS: Heart failure trials of beta-blockers were identified by electronic searches of the MEDLINE database from 1966 to 2002. The random-effects model was used to combine results from individual trials and calculate estimates of risks associated with therapy. RESULTS: beta-Blocker therapy was associated with significant absolute annual increases in risks of hypotension (11 per 1000; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0-22), dizziness (57 per 1000; 95% CI, 11-104), and bradycardia (38 per 1000; 95% CI, 21-54). There was no significant absolute risk of fatigue associated with therapy (3 per 1000; 95% CI, -2 to 9). beta-Blocker therapy was associated with a reduction in all-cause withdrawal of medication (14 per 1000; 95% CI, -2 to 29) as well as significant reductions in all-cause mortality (34 per 1000; 95% CI, 20-49), HF hospitalizations (40 per 1000; 95% CI, 22-58), and worsening HF (52 per 1000; 95% CI, 10-94). CONCLUSIONS: Although beta-blocker therapy was associated with hypotension, dizziness, and bradycardia, the absolute increases in risk were small, and overall fewer patients were withdrawn from beta-blocker therapy than from placebo. This information should alleviate concerns about prescribing this life-saving therapy to patients with HF.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗