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Clinical Effectiveness of Beta-Blockers in Heart Failure Findings From the OPTIMIZE-HF (Organized Program to Initiate Lifesaving Treatment in Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure) Registry JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY Hernandez, A. F., Hammill, B. G., O'Connor, C. M., Schulman, K. A., Curtis, L. H., Fonarow, G. C. 2009; 53 (2): 184–92

Abstract

We sought to examine associations between initiation of beta-blocker therapy and outcomes among elderly patients hospitalized for heart failure.Beta-blockers are guideline-recommended therapy for heart failure, but their clinical effectiveness is not well understood, especially in elderly patients.We merged Medicare claims data with OPTIMIZE-HF (Organized Program to Initiate Lifesaving Treatment in Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure) records to examine long-term outcomes of eligible patients newly initiated on beta-blocker therapy. We used inverse probability-weighted Cox proportional hazards models to determine the relationships among treatment and mortality, rehospitalization, and a combined mortality-rehospitalization end point.Observed 1-year mortality was 33%, and all-cause rehospitalization was 64%. Among 7,154 patients hospitalized with heart failure and eligible for beta-blockers, 3,421 (49%) were newly initiated on beta-blocker therapy. Among patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) (n = 3,001), beta-blockers were associated with adjusted hazard ratios of 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68 to 0.87) for mortality, 0.89 (95% CI: 0.80 to 0.99) for rehospitalization, and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.79 to 0.96) for mortality-rehospitalization. Among patients with preserved systolic function (n = 4,153), beta-blockers were associated with adjusted hazard ratios of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.84 to 1.07) for mortality, 0.98 (95% CI: 0.90 to 1.06) for rehospitalization, and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.91 to 1.06) for mortality-rehospitalization.In elderly patients hospitalized with heart failure and LVSD, incident beta-blocker use was clinically effective and independently associated with lower risks of death and rehospitalization. Patients with preserved systolic function had poor outcomes, and beta-blockers did not significantly influence the mortality and rehospitalization risks for these patients.

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jacc.2008.09.031

View details for Web of Science ID 000262418500006

View details for PubMedID 19130987

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC3513266