Table 2. Patients characteristics of the included studies.
| Study | SENIORS[10]† | J-DHF[11] | FukutaH[23] | Chan, J. D[24]‡ | Grigoria SL[25] | OPTIMIZE-HF[26] | FarasatSM[12] | Dobre D[7] | Tehrani F[27] | R Shah[8] | Nevzorov R[28] | El-Refai M[9] |
| Year | 2009 | 2013 | 2005 | 2005 | 2006 | 2009 | 2009 | 2007 | 2008 | 2008 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Mean age, years * | 76(5) | 72(11) | 65(14) | 80(5) | 73(10) | 81 | 71(13) | 78(10) | 87(5) | 80 | 77(11) | 71(12) |
| Type of beta-blockers | Nebivolol | Carvedilol | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Dose of beta-blockers | Starting with 1.25mg/d to 10mg/d | 7.5 mg/d | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Female,% | 49.9 | 42 | 57 | 50.3 | 51 | 31.6 | 8.2 | 55.5 | 69 | 70 | 58.8 | 60.6 |
| LVEF,% | 49(10) | 63(11) | 62(7) | NA | >50 | NA | NA | ≥40 | 60(10) | NA | NA | 57 (5) |
| History of MI,% | 34.4 | NA | NA | 60.5 | NA | NA | NA | 36.1 | 44 | 21 | 13.3 | NA |
| Ischemic etiology, % | 76.9 | 14.7 | 58 | 84.7 | 41.1 | NA | 48.5 | NA | 44 | 48 | 51.3 | 25.5 |
| Hypertension,% | 77.7 | 80.4 | 80 | 63.7 | 60.8 | NA | 89.4 | 49.4 | 75 | 71 | 69.8 | 73.4 |
| Diabetes mellitus,% | 24.3 | 3.6 | 23 | 16.8 | 26.9 | 36.6 | 54.5 | 28.7 | 26 | 39 | 40 | 46.4 |
| Atrial fibrillation (%) | 36.6 | 40.8 | NA | 23.6 | NA | 35.2 | NA | 44.5 | NA | NA | 44.9 | 29.8 |
| COPD (%) | NA | NA | NA | 14.7 | NA | 28.2 | NA | 28.4 | NA | 33 | NA | 39 |
| Anemia (%) | NA | NA | NA | NA | 37.8 | 19.7 | NA | 54.4 | 54 | NA | 32.5 | NA |
| Medication | ||||||||||||
| Statin | 13.3 | NA | NA | 12.7 | NA | 28 | NA | NA | 22 | 17 | 23.7 | NA |
| ACEI/ ARB, % | 91.5 | 23.3 | 55 | 44.5 | 50.5 | 58.2 | NA | 77.4 | 47 | 47 | 46.96 | 26 |
| Aspirin,% | NA | 20.4 | NA | 65.8 | 28.1 | 48.9 | NA | NA | NA | 41 | 36.8 | NA |
| Diuretics,% | 83.1 | 60 | 50 | 52.9 | 66.1 | 80.4 | NA | 88 | 62 | NA | 48.13 | NA |
| CCB,% | NA | NA | 27 | 27.4 | 31 | NA | NA | 15.3 | 33 | NA | 25.2 | NA |
| Nitrates,% | NA | NA | NA | 45.9 | 36.8 | NA | NA | 46.5 | 20 | NA | 24.7 | NA |
| Digoxin,% | NA | 20.4 | NA | 36.3 | 22.1 | 21.9 | NA | 22.1 | 30 | NA | 11.6 | NA |
| Mineralocorticoid receptor blockers,% | 5.6 | 23.3 | NA | NA | NA | 8.0 | 6.1 | 40.6 | NA | NA | 20.0 | NA |
*The values were given as mean (standard deviation), †the values were presented as the patients with an EF ≥ 35% among the participants who used the beta-blockers treatment, ‡the values were presented as the participants who used the beta-blockers treatment. ACEI: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARBs: angiotensin-receptor blockers; CCB: calcium channel blockers; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; LVEF: left ventricular ejection fraction; MI: myocardial infarction; NA: not available.