Congestive heart failure beta blockers

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ACC/AHA Guideline Recommendations Initial and Serial Evaluation of the HF Patient Hospitalized Patient Patients With a Prior MI Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention Surgical/Percutaneous/Transcather Interventional Treatments of HF Patients at high risk for developing heart failure (Stage A) Patients with cardiac structural abnormalities or remodeling who have not developed heart failure symptoms (Stage B) Patients with current or prior symptoms of heart failure (Stage C) Patients with refractory end-stage heart failure (Stage D) Coordinating Care for Patients With Chronic HF Quality Metrics/Performance Measures
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Specific Groups: Special Populations Patients who have concomitant disorders Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Patient with CHF NSTEMI with Heart Failure and Cardiogenic Shock
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Editor(s)-In-Chief: James Chang, M.D., Cardiovascular Division Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, Harvard Medical School [1] and C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2], Cardiovascular Division Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, Harvard Medical School

Indications for Beta Blockers in CHF

A patient should be administered a "heart failure approved" beta blocker (metoprolol succinate, carvedilol, bisoprilol) if:

1. Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40%

or

2. History of myocardial infarction (MI)

Background

• Blockade of compensatory sympathetic stimulation is associated with arrhythmic, ischemic, remodeling, and apoptotic benefits.
• Used as monotherapy or combined with conventional heart failure management, beta-blockers reduce the combined risk of morbidity and mortality.
• Beta blocker therapy is recommended for ANY patient with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (≤ 40%) regardless of the etiology of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ischemic or nonischemic) or presence/absence of symptoms. Patients with or without heart failure (in other words, even those with asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction) are included in this recommendation.
• Beta blockers approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of heart failure are metoprolol succinate and carvedilol. In Europe, bisoprolol is also approved for use in heart failure. In addition, beta blocker therapy is indicated for patients with history of myocardial infarction whether or not left ventricular systolic dysfunction or heart failure is present.
• Beta blocker therapy should be initiated at low dosage and gradually uptitrated, as tolerated, toward target dosages of 200 mg daily for metoprolol succinate and 25 mg twice daily for carvedilol, or to the maximum tolerated dosage.
• Lopressor should be used instead of atenolol in the patient with CHF.