Table 1.
Clinical trials of β-adrenoceptor blockers in heart failure including elderly patients
| Result of primary outcome | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study | Agents | Follow-up | Elderly participants | Women | Inclusion criteria | Primary outcome measures | ARR P value | Incidence in active group | Incidence in placebo group |
| CIBIS [8] | Bisoprolol 1.25–5 mg vs. placebo | 1.9 years | NA | 17.5% | CHF NYHA III-IV | All-cause mortality | 16.6% | 20.9% | 4.3%P = 0.22 |
| CIBIS-II [1] | Bisoprolol 1.25–10 mg vs. placebo | 1.3 years | NA | 19.4% | CHF NYHA III-IV | All-cause mortality | 11.7% | 17.3% | 5.6%P < 0.0001 |
| US CHFSG [10] | Carvedilol 12.5–100 mg vs. placebo | 0.5 years | ≥ 59 years (50.1%) | 23.4% | CHF with EF ≤ 0.35 | All-cause mortality | 3.2% | 7.8% | 4.6%P < 0.001 |
| MERIT-HF [3] | Metoprolol CR/XL 200 mg vs. placebo | 1 year | 60–69 years (35.2%)≥ 70 years (31.2%) | 22.5% | CHF NYHA II-IV with EF ≤ 0.40 | All-cause mortality | 7.3% | 10.8% | 3.5%P = 0.00009 |
| COPERNICUS [2] | Carvedilol 50 mg vs. placebo | 0.9 years | NA | 20.5% | CHF NYHA IV with EF < 0.25 | All-cause mortality | 11.2% | 16.8% | 5.6%P = 0.0014 |
| BEST [12] | Bucindolol 200 mg vs. placebo | 2 years | >60 years 55.8% | 21.9% | CHF NYHA III-IV with EF ≤ 0.35 | All-cause mortality | 30.3% | 33.2% | 2.9%P = 0.13 |
| SENIORS [13] | Nevibolol 1.25–10 mg vs. placebo | 1.7 years | ≥70 years (100%) | 36.9% | History of CHF | All-cause mortality or CV hospitalization | 31.1% | 35.3% | 4.2%P = 0.039 |
CHF, congestive heart failure; NYHA, New York Heart Association; EF, ejection fraction; CV, cardiovascular; NA, not available; ARR, absolute risk reduction.