Beta Blockers Up Survival in COPD with Myocardial Infarction

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are less likely to die after experiencing a myocardial infarction (MI) when they are given beta blockers either upon admission to the hospital or before the event, according to a new study.

To test the effectiveness of beta blockers in patients with COPD, researchers analyzed data from the UK National Registry of Myocardial Infarction (Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project) on 1063 patients with COPD who experienced their first MI between 2003 and 2008.

When patients were treated with beta blockers upon hospital admission for MI, data showed significant benefits—a mortality hazard ratio of 0.50 and a median follow-up time of 2.9 years.

Patients who had been taking beta-blockers prior to their MI had a mortality hazard ratio of 0.59. Researchers note that only 38.6% of people with COPD received beta blockers when hospitalized with for MI. This was due to concerns over the safety of beta-blocker use in patients with COPD.

“Use of β blockers remains limited in patients with COPD, and this lack of prescribing might be contributing to the increase in mortality in these patients after myocardial infarction,” the researchers concluded. “Our data suggest that β blockers should be used more widely in patients with COPD who have had a myocardial infarction.”

The complete study was published in the November issue of the British Medical Journal.

–Michael Potts

Reference:

Quint JK, Herrett E, Timmis A, et al. Effect of β blockers on mortality after myocardial infarction in adults with COPD: population based cohort study of UK electronic healthcare records. BMJ. 2013;347:f6650.