Cardioprotection: the role of beta-blocker therapy.

Randomized controlled clinical trials document that beta blockers reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, particularly sudden death, in patients with hypertension, heart failure, and post-myocardial infarction. The benefits of beta blockers extend across the boundaries of age, gender, and ethnicity, and include diabetic patients with heart failure and/or previous myocardial infarction. Unfortunately, beta blockers remain underutilized in many high-risk patients who would likely benefit from their use. This paper reviews the protective role of beta blockade in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events and examines some of the potential barriers to appropriate beta blocker use in patients with compelling indications.