Published in:
Open Access 01-03-2023 | ß-Blockers | Original Research Article
Increased Risk of Heart Failure in Elderly Patients Treated with Beta-Blockers After AV Node Ablation
Published in: American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs | Issue 2/2023
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Introduction
Controversy exists regarding the indication of beta-blockers (BB) in different scenarios in patients with cardiovascular disease. We sought to evaluate the effect of BB on survival and heart failure (HF) hospitalizations in a sample of pacemaker-dependent patients after AV node ablation to control ventricular rate for atrial tachyarrhythmias.
Methods
A retrospective study including consecutive patients that underwent AV node ablation was conducted in a single center between 2011 and 2019. The study's primary endpoints were the incidence of all-cause mortality, first HF hospitalization and the cumulative incidence of subsequent hospitalizations for HF. Competing risk analyses were employed.
Results
A total of 111 patients with a mean age of 73.9 years were included in the study. After a median follow-up of 45.5 months, 43 patients had died (38.7%) and 31 had been hospitalized for HF (27.9%). The recurrent HF hospitalization rate was 74/1000 patients/year. Patients treated with BB had a non-significant trend to higher mortality rates and a higher risk of recurrent HF hospitalizations (incidence rate ratio 2.23, 95% confidence interval 1.12–4.44; p = 0.023).
Conclusion
After an AV node ablation, the use of BB is associated with an increased risk of HF hospitalizations in a cohort of elderly patients.