Skip to main content
Log in

Beta-Blockers and ACE Inhibitors Are Associated with Improved Survival Secondary to Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

The study sought to assess the impact of treatment with beta-blocker (BB) or ACE inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEi/ARB) on secondary survival in patients presenting with ventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Background

Data regarding outcome of patients presenting with ventricular tachyarrhythmia treated with BB and ACEi/ARB is limited.

Methods

A large retrospective registry was used including consecutive patients presenting with ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation from 2002 to 2016 on admission. Applying propensity-score matching for harmonization, the impact of “BB” and “ACEi/ARB” was comparatively evaluated. The primary prognostic outcome was long-term all-cause death at 3 years.

Results

A total of 972 matched patients were included. Both patients with BB (long-term mortality rate 18 versus 27%; log rank p = 0.041; HR = 0.661; 95% CI = 0.443–0.986; p = 0.043) and with ACEi/ARB (long-term mortality rate 13 versus 23%; log rank p = 0.004; HR = 0.544; 95% CI = 0.359–0.824; p = 0.004) revealed better secondary survival compared to patients without after presenting with ventricular tachyarrhythmia on admission. The prognostic benefit of BB was comparable to ACEi/ARB (long-term mortality rate 21 versus 26%; log rank p = 0.539).

Conclusion

BB and ACEi/ARB were associated with improved secondary survival in patients surviving ventricular tachyarrhythmia on admission.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02982473

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Priori, S.G., et al., 2015 ESC guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death. The Task Force for the Management of Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC). European Heart Journal, 2015. 36(41): p. 2793–2867.

  2. Refaat MM, Hotait M, London B. Genetics of sudden cardiac death. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2015;17(7):53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Arshad A, Mandava A, Kamath G, Musat D. Sudden cardiac death and the role of medical therapy. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2008;50(6):420–38.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Katritsis DG, Gersh BJ, Camm AJ. A clinical perspective on sudden cardiac death. Arrhythmia Electrophysiol Rev. 2016;5(3):177–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Israel CW. Mechanisms of sudden cardiac death. Indian Heart J. 2014;66(Supplement 1):S10–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Erath JW, Hohnloser SH. Drugs to prevent sudden cardiac death. Int J Cardiol. 2017;237:22–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Turakhia M, Tseng ZH. Sudden cardiac death: epidemiology, mechanisms, and therapy. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2007;32(9):501–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kamath GS, Mittal S. The role of antiarrhythmic drug therapy for the prevention of sudden cardiac death. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2008;50(6):439–48.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Landray MJ. Sudden death: ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers. Vol 95 Suppl 1. 2000. I37–40.

  10. Cohen-Solal A, Jacobson AF, Piña IL. Beta blocker dose and markers of sympathetic activation in heart failure patients: interrelationships and prognostic significance. ESC Heart Failure. 2017;4:499–506.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Weeks PA, Sieg A, Gass JA, Rajapreyar I. The role of pharmacotherapy in the prevention of sudden cardiac death in patients with heart failure. Heart Fail Rev. 2016;21(4):415–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Boriani G, Diemberger I, Valzania C, Biffi M, Martignani C, Raschi E, et al. Role of drugs and devices in patients at risk of sudden cardiac death. Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2010;24(5):575–94.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Latini R, Maggioni AP, Flather M, Sleight P, Tognoni G. ACE inhibitor use in patients with myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1995;92(10):3132–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation Study, I., et al. Effects of an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor, ramipril, on cardiovascular events in high-risk patients. N Engl J Med. 2000;342(3):145–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Peck KY, Lim YZ, Hopper I, Krum H. Medical therapy versus implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in preventing sudden cardiac death in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and heart failure: a meta-analysis of >35,000 patients. Int J Cardiol. 2014;173(2):197–203.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Goldberger JJ, Bonow RO, Cuffe M, Liu L, Rosenberg Y, Shah PK, et al. Effect of beta-blocker dose on survival after acute myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(13):1431–41.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Investigators C-I. The cardiac insufficiency bisoprolol study II (CIBIS-II): a randomised trial. Lancet. 1999;353(9146):9–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Shekelle PG, Rich MW, Morton SC, Atkinson CSW, Tu W, Maglione M, et al. Efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers in the management of left ventricular systolic dysfunction according to race, gender, and diabetic status. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;41(9):1529–38.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Priori SG, et al. 2015 ESC guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death: The Task Force for the Management of Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC). Eur Heart J, 2015 36(41): p. 2793–867.

  20. Ponikowski P, et al. 2016 ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Developed with the special contribution of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC. Eur Heart J, 2016. 37(27): p. 2129–200.

  21. Austin PC. An introduction to propensity score methods for reducing the effects of confounding in observational studies. Multivariate Behav Res. 2011;46(3):399–424.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Ferdinand D, Otto M, Weiss C. Get the most from your data: a propensity score model comparison on real-life data. Int J Gen Med. 2016;9:123–31.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Alberte C, Zipes DP. Use of nonantiarrhythmic drugs for prevention of sudden cardiac death. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2003;14(s9):S87–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Timolol-induced reduction in mortality and reinfarction in patients surviving acute myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med, 1981; 304(14): p. 801–7.

  25. Olsson G, et al. Metoprolol-induced reduction in postinfarction mortality: pooled results from five double-blind randomized trials. Eur Heart J. 1992;13(1):28–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Friedman LM, Byington RP, Capone RJ, Furberg CD, Goldstein S, Lichstein E. Effect of propranolol in patients with myocardial infarction and ventricular arrhythmia. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986;7(1):1–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Rutherford JD, Pfeffer MA, Moye LA, Davis BR, Flaker GC, Kowey PR, et al. Effects of captopril on ischemic events after myocardial infarction. Results of the survival and ventricular enlargement trial. SAVE Investigators. Circulation. 1994;90(4):1731–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Hall AS, Murray GD, Ball SG. Follow-up study of patients randomly allocated ramipril or placebo for heart failure after acute myocardial infarction: AIRE Extension (AIREX) Study. Lancet. 1997;349(9064):1493–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Torp-Pedersen C, Køber L. Effect of ACE inhibitor trandolapril on life expectancy of patients with reduced left-ventricular function after acute m yocardial infarction. Lancet. 1999;354(9172):9–12.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Ponikowski P, et al. 2016 ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Developed with the special contribution of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC. European Heart Journal, 2016; 37(27): p. 2129–2200.

  31. Flather MD, Yusuf S, Køber L, Pfeffer M, Hall A, Murray G, et al. Long-term ACE-inhibitor therapy in patients with heart failure or left-ventricular dysfunction: a systematic overview of data from individual patients. Lancet. 2000;355(9215):1575–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Effect of metoprolol CR/XL in chronic heart failure: metoprolol CR/XL Randomised Intervention Trial in-Congestive Heart Failure (MERIT-HF). Lancet, 1999. 353(9169): p. 2001–2007.

  33. Kochs M, Eggeling T, Hombach V. Pharmacological therapy in coronary heart disease: prevention of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Eur Heart J. 1993;14(suppl_E):107–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Reiter MJ, Reiffel JA. Importance of beta blockade in the therapy of serious ventricular arrhythmias. Am J Card Imaging. 82(4):9I–19I.

  35. Hallstrom AP, Cobb LA, Yu BH, Weaver WD, Fahrenbruch CE. An antiarrhythmic drug experience in 941 patients resuscitated from an initial cardiac arrest between 1970 and 1985. Am J Cardiol. 1991;68(10):1025–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Brodsky MA, Allen BJ, Bessen M, Luckett CR, Siddiqi R, Henry WL. Beta-blocker therapy in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias in the setting of left ventricular dysfunction. Am Heart J. 1988;115(4):799–808.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Brodsky MA, Allen BJ, Luckett CR, Capparelli EV, Wolff LJ, Henry WL. Antiarrhythmic efficacy of solitary beta-adrenergic blockade for patients with sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Am Heart J. 1989;118(2):272–80.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. AlJaroudi WA, et al. Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and receptor blockers on appropriate implantable cardiac defibrillator shock in patients with severe systolic heart failure (from the GRADE Multicenter Study). Am J Cardiol. 2015;115(7):924–31.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. James PA, Oparil S, Carter BL, Cushman WC, Dennison-Himmelfarb C, Handler J, et al. 2014 evidence-based guideline for the management of high blood pressure in adults: report from the panel members appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8). JAMA. 2014;311(5):507–20.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Pfeffer MA, Braunwald E, Moyé LA, Basta L, Brown EJ Jr, Cuddy TE, et al. Effect of captopril on mortality and morbidity in patients with left ventricular dysfunction after myocardial infarction. Results of the survival and ventricular enlargement trial. The SAVE Investigators. N Engl J Med. 1992;327(10):669–77.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Swedberg K, Held P, Kjekshus J, Rasmussen K, Rydén L, Wedel H. Effects of the early administration of enalapril on mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Results of the Cooperative New Scandinavian Enalapril Survival Study II (CONSENSUS II). N Engl J Med. 1992;327(10):678–84.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Behnes.

Ethics declarations

There is no potential conflict of interests to disclose for any author. This study is based on a retrospective data analysis/registry and has been approved by the local ethics commission II of the faculty of Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, where no informed consent was deemed necessary for this study (ethical approval number 2016-612NMA) (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02982473).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOC 33 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Schupp, T., Behnes, M., Weiß, C. et al. Beta-Blockers and ACE Inhibitors Are Associated with Improved Survival Secondary to Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 32, 353–363 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10557-018-6812-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10557-018-6812-z

Keywords

Navigation