A drug that has been prescribed for decades following heart attacks remains beneficial for some patients, even with modern treatment options now available. Two large trials have shown that beta-blocker medications continue to offer protection for certain groups of heart attack survivors, though questions remain about whether the benefits extend to everyone.
Conflicting Trial Results Presented
Two major reports with sharply different conclusions were presented at a cardiology conference in Madrid and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Borja Ibanez of Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III in Madrid, who led one of the studies, explained, “It is not unusual for trials to yield different results. Somewhat uncommon is to see two trials with apparently divergent findings presented on the same day.”
The shared finding between both teams was that beta-blockers lower the combined risk of a repeat heart attack, heart failure, or death in patients who have mildly impaired heart function but no heart failure. What remains unresolved is whether the drugs are helpful or unnecessary for patients with normal heart function, who represent about 80% of those recovering from a first heart attack.
How Beta-Blockers Work and Who Makes Them
Beta-blockers work by inhibiting hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, lowering heart rate and blood pressure. This reduces the workload on the heart and decreases its oxygen demand. These medications are produced by several major pharmaceutical companies, including Mylan, Novartis, Pfizer, Abbott, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Lupin, ANI Pharmaceuticals, and Eagle Pharmaceuticals.
