Loading...
Beta-blockers may improve survival after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by reducing myocardial oxygen demand by lowering heart rate and left ventricular work load; however, the optimal timing of beta-blocker administration is unclear. Researchers compared mortality between consecutive patients with STEMI enrolled in an Austrian MI database, who received — per protocol — 2.5 mg oral bisoprolol either within 30 minutes after the first electrocardiogram (343 patients; immediate-treatment group) or 24 hours after the first ECG (321patients; delayed-treatment group). Contraindications to beta-blocker therapy included systolic blood pressure less than 100 mm Hg, heart rate less than 60 beats per minute, grade II or III atriove…