Beta-blockers: primary and secondary prevention.

Coronary heart disease is the most frequent cause of death in Western, industrialized countries. Coronary risk factors are prevalent in such countries and sometimes combine to constitute the so-called syndrome X--hypertension, central obesity, serum lipid and clotting disturbances, and insulin resistance. beta-Blockers, unlike calcium antagonists, have proved highly effective in secondary prevention of myocardial infarction. If present at the time of the myocardial infarction, beta-blockers (unlike calcium antagonists and diuretics) probably decrease mortality 1 month later. Early intervention (within 12 h) of chest pain with intravenous beta-blockers results in a 15% reduction in cardiovascular mortality at 1 week. Later intervention (3-28 days) with oral non-ISA beta-blockers results in a 30% reduction in mortality after 1 year; ISA-containing beta-blockers are probably less effective (less decrease in heart rate). Hydrophilicity/lipophilicity of beta-blockers is unimportant in terms of decreased mortality. Primary prevention of myocardial infarction, unlike stroke, in hypertensive patients has been disappointing, possibly due to treatment-induced biochemical/lipid changes or inappropriate lowering of diastolic blood pressure in high-risk subjects (J-curve effect). beta-Blockers should be first-line therapy for hypertensive patients up to the age of 65 years, particularly men (and nonsmokers) as Q-wave myocardial infarction is significantly decreased by beta-blockers and significantly increased by diuretics. However, in elderly hypertensive subjects, beta-blockers have not significantly decreased myocardial infarction (unlike stroke), whereas diuretics have. The effects of beta-blockers and diuretics on heart size (and thus coronary flow reserve) in the elderly may be important. Thus, beta-blockers should be second-line therapy for the elderly hypertensive individual but first-line if overt ischemia (e.g., angina or recent myocardial infarction) also is present. In patients with angina but normal blood pressure, beta-blockers tend to decrease and calcium antagonists increase cardiovascular events. Thus, beta-blockers are highly effective agents in the secondary prevention of myocardial infarction and are moderately effective in primary prevention of myocardial infarction in hypertensive patients (particularly men) under the age of 65 years.