Table 1.
Entry characteristics of patients randomised to metoprolol or placebo. Figures are number (percentage) of patients unless stated otherwise
| Metoprolol (n=462) | Placebo (n=459) | |
|---|---|---|
|
Demographics |
||
| Mean (SD) age (years) |
64.9 (11.1) |
64.8 (110.8) |
| Mean (SD) body mass index |
27.2 (5.4) |
26.9 (5.2) |
| No (%) of women |
191 (41) |
191 (42) |
|
Cardiovascular disease |
||
| Congestive heart failure |
47 (10) |
48 (11) |
| Atrial fibrillation |
34 (7) |
38 (8) |
| Arrhythmia requiring treatment |
12 (3) |
13 (3) |
| Angina pectoris |
56 (12) |
48 (11) |
| Previous acute myocardial infarction |
36 (8) |
34 (7) |
| Previous PTCA/CABG |
20 (4) |
15 (3) |
| History of hypertension |
254 (55) |
288 (58) |
| Calcium channel blockers |
70 (15) |
81 (18) |
| Diuretics |
155 (34) |
170 (37) |
| ACE inhibitor |
130 (28) |
148 (32) |
| Anticoagulants |
114 (25) |
99 (22) |
| Statins |
53 (12) |
46 (10) |
| Angiotensin II receptor blocker |
29 (6) |
27 (6) |
| History of coronary artery disease and hypertension |
279 (61) |
286 (62) |
|
Antidiabetic treatment |
||
| Diet alone |
81 (18) |
80 (17) |
| Oral hypoglycaemic agent |
201 (44) |
191 (42) |
| Insulin |
153 (33) |
164 (36) |
| Insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agent |
26 (6) |
24 (5) |
|
Diabetes duration and complications |
||
| Mean (SD) duration of diabetes (years) |
12.0 (11.8) |
11.6 (11) |
| Diabetic neuropathy |
116 (25) |
124 (27) |
| Diabetic retinopathy |
92 (20) |
85 (19) |
| Diabetic nephropathy |
35 (8) |
37 (8) |
|
Concurrent diseases and surgical risk |
||
| Current smoker |
179 (39) |
171 (38) |
| Former smoker |
183 (40) |
169 (37) |
| Excessive alcohol consumption |
25 (5) |
28 (6) |
| Active malignant disease |
86 (19) |
88 (19) |
|
Surgical risk |
||
| Expected high or intermediate risk |
283 (61) |
278 (61) |
| Expected low risk surgery |
179 (39) |
181 (39) |
|
Type of surgery |
||
| Orthopaedic |
154 (33) |
149 (32) |
| Intra-abdominal |
126 (27) |
129 (28) |
| Neurological |
40 (9) |
32 (7) |
| Vascular |
30 (7) |
32 (7) |
| Gynaecological |
23 (5) |
24 (5) |
| Thoracic |
20 (4) |
17 (4) |
| Other* |
69 (15) |
76 (17) |
|
Type of anaesthesia |
||
| General |
269 (58) |
295 (64) |
| Combined epidural and general |
85 (18) |
78 (17) |
| Epidural or spinal |
91 (20) |
69 (15) |
| Unknown |
17 (4) |
17 (4) |
|
Duration of surgery |
||
| Mean |
hours |
(range)† |
|
Blood transfusion |
||
| No transfused |
33 (8) |
38 (9) |
| Mean (SD) amount transfused (ml) | 809 (735) | 825 (528) |
ACE inhibitor=angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor; PTCA/CABG=percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/coronary artery bypass graft.
*
Includes head and neck surgery, plastic surgery, eye surgery, or general surgery.
†
Measured from induction of anaesthesia to time of final blood pressure measurement.