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People who receive long-term kidney dialysis often develop heart failure (HF). Researchers hypothesized that the HF-prevention benefits of beta-blockers demonstrated in other clinical settings might extend to dialysis patients. They retrospectively analyzed data from 2550 patients (mean age, about 59) enrolled in a U.S. dialysis registry who had initiated peritoneal or hemodialysis in 1996 and survived more than 90 days. About one fifth were beta-blocker users. Analyses were adjusted for HF risk factors and for use of medications other than beta-blockers, but not for LV ejection fraction.
Among the two thirds of patients without known previous HF, beta-blocker use was associated with significantly lower risk for new-onset HF (hazard ratio, 0…