Comparison 1. All‐cause mortality at maximum follow‐up.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1.1 All‐cause mortality	21	22085	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.74, 0.89]
1.2 All‐cause mortality ‐ Type of beta‐blocker	21	22085	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.74, 0.89]
1.2.1 Alprenolol	2	427	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.42, 1.45]
1.2.2 Acebutolol	1	586	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.64, 1.07]
1.2.3 Atenolol	1	757	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.45 [0.19, 1.09]
1.2.4 Carvedilol	1	794	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.85 [0.48, 1.51]
1.2.5 Metoprolol	5	3461	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.85 [0.67, 1.06]
1.2.6 Oxprenolol	3	3817	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.84 [0.49, 1.45]
1.2.7 Pindolol	1	529	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.97 [0.67, 1.40]
1.2.8 Practolol	1	3053	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.65 [0.46, 0.90]
1.2.9 Propranolol	4	5321	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.75 [0.63, 0.90]
1.2.10 Sotalol	1	1456	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.82 [0.58, 1.17]
1.2.11 Timolol	1	1884	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.69, 0.94]
1.3 All‐cause mortality ‐ Different follow‐up	21	22085	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.74, 0.89]
1.3.1 Between 6 months and 12 months	6	7607	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.87 [0.67, 1.13]
1.3.2 Between 1 year and 3 years	12	11214	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.67, 0.90]
1.3.3 3 years or longer	3	3264	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.72, 0.92]
1.4 All‐cause mortality ‐ Registration status	21	22085	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.74, 0.89]
1.4.1 Post‐registration	1	3837	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.74 [0.60, 0.91]
1.4.2 No registration	19	17454	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.82 [0.74, 0.91]
1.4.3 Pre‐registration	1	794	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.85 [0.48, 1.51]
1.5 All‐cause mortality ‐ Industry vs non‐industry funding	21	22085	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.70, 0.87]
1.5.1 Industry‐funded trials or unknown funding	17	20327	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.68, 0.89]
1.5.2 Non‐industry‐funded trials	4	1758	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.59, 1.02]
1.6 All‐cause mortality ‐ Subacute vs non‐acute phase	21	22085	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.70, 0.87]
1.6.1 Beta‐blockers administered within 7 days following acute myocardial infarction (subacute phase)	3	1431	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.75 [0.50, 1.11]
1.6.2 Beta‐blockers administered after 7 days following acute myocardial infarction (non‐acute phase)	18	20654	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.69, 0.88]
1.7 All‐cause mortality ‐ Heart failure vs no heart failure	21	22085	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.74, 0.89]
1.7.1 Trials specifically excluding heart failure participants	11	8273	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.71 [0.60, 0.85]
1.7.2 Trials specifically excluding heart failure participants but likely not adhering to this	10	13812	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.84 [0.77, 0.93]
1.8 All‐cause mortality ‐ 'Best‐worst case scenario'	21	22309	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.70 [0.59, 0.83]
1.9 All‐cause mortality ‐ 'Worst‐best case scenario'	21	22309	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.89 [0.72, 1.09]