Annals
Established in 1927 by the American College of Physicians
:
Advanced search
 
box Article
 arrow  Table of Contents                
space
 arrow  Full Text of this article
space
 arrow  PDF of this article
(PDFs free after 6 months)
space
 arrow  Figures/Tables List
space
 arrow  Audio Summary
space
 arrow  Related articles in Annals
space
box Services
 arrow  Send comment/rapid response letter
space
 arrow  Published comments/rapid response letters
space
 arrow  Notify a friend about this article
space
 arrow  Alert me when this article is cited
space
 arrow  Add to Personal Archive
space
 arrow  Download to Citation Manager
space
 arrow  ACP Search                        
space
 arrow  Get Permissions
space
box Google Scholar
 arrow  Search for Related Content
space
box PubMed
Articles in PubMed by Author:
  arrow  Sipahi, I.
space
  arrow  Nissen, S. E.
space
 arrow  Related Articles in PubMed
space
 arrow  PubMed Citation
space
 arrow  PubMed
space

ARTICLE

ß-Blockers and Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis: Pooled Analysis of 4 Intravascular Ultrasonography Trials

right arrow Ilke Sipahi, MD; E. Murat Tuzcu, MD; Katherine E. Wolski, MPH; Stephen J. Nicholls, MBBS, PhD; Paul Schoenhagen, MD; Bo Hu, PhD; Craig Balog, BS; Mehdi Shishehbor, DO; William A. Magyar, BS; Timothy D. Crowe, BS; Samir Kapadia, MD; and Steven E. Nissen, MD

3 July 2007 | Volume 147 Issue 1 | Pages 10-18

Background: In patients with myocardial infarction, ß-adrenergic blockers reduce recurrent myocardial infarction and total mortality rates. However, whether a direct influence of ß-blockers on coronary atherosclerosis contributes to reduced recurrent myocardial infarction and total mortality rates is not known.

Objective: To assess whether ß-blocker therapy is associated with reduced atheroma progression in adults with known coronary artery disease.

Design: Post hoc, pooled analysis of individual patient data from 4 intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) trials.

Setting: Four IVUS trials conducted in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

Patients: 1515 patients with coronary artery disease.

Intervention: The original trials used 3 different statins, a calcium-channel blocker, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, or an acyl coenzyme A–cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitor.

Measurements: Changes in atheroma volume, as determined by IVUS after adjustment for possible confounders by using linear mixed-effects models, were compared in patients who did and did not receive concomitant ß-blocker treatment.

Results: Patients who received ß-blockers (n = 1154) were more likely to have histories of myocardial infarction, angina, and hypertension than were patients who did not receive ß-blockers (n = 361). The estimated annual change in atheroma volume was statistically significantly less in patients who received ß-blockers. This was true for univariate and multivariable analyses that controlled for history of myocardial infarction, angina, and hypertension (mean [±SE] atheroma volume, –2.4 ± 0.5 mm3/y in treated patients vs. –0.4 ± 0.8 mm3/y in untreated patients; P = 0.034). Accordingly, atheroma volume statistically significantly decreased at follow-up IVUS in patients who received ß-blockers (P < 0.001) and did not change in patients who did not receive ß-blockers (P = 0.86). Additional adjustments for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, concomitant medications, and clinical trial did not change the results.

Limitations: Patients were not randomly assigned to ß-blocker therapy, and interventions other than ß-blocker therapy could have influenced the changes in atheroma volume. Whether progression rate of atherosclerosis as detected by IVUS predicts cardiovascular outcomes is unknown.

Conclusions: The analysis demonstrates that ß-blockers can slow progression of coronary atherosclerosis. The findings provide additional support for the current clinical guidelines advocating long-term use of ß-blockers to treat most forms of coronary artery disease.


Editors' Notes
space

Context

  • The mechanisms by which ß-blockers prevent recurrent myocardial infarction are not clear.

Contribution

  • This pooled analysis of individual patient data examines changes in coronary atheroma volume as measured by serial intravascular ultrasonography in 4 randomized trials. The trials followed 1515 patients with coronary artery disease for 18 to 24 months. Atheroma volume decreased in patients who were receiving ß-blockers but stayed the same in those not receiving ß-blockers.

Cautions

  • The trials tested other interventions (such as statins) that could have affected atheromas. We do not know whether changes in atheroma volume predict cardiovascular outcomes.

Implication

  • ß-Blockers probably slow progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

—The Editors

 

Author and Article Information
space

From The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank Jordan Andrews, Eva Balazs, Sorin Brener, Tammy Churchill, Anne Colagiovanni, Kelly Emerick, Teresa Fonk, Jessica Fox, Marlene Goormastic, Thomas Ivanc, Karilane King, Aaron Loyd, Kara McInturff, Roman Poliszczuk, Rhiannon Regal, Troy Schweitzer, Andrea Winkhart, and Jay Zhitnik at the Cleveland Clinic Cardiovascular Coordinating Center; David J. Frid, Michele Norton, Fady Ntanios, Harry Shi, and Kamlesh Thakker at Pfizer; James Hanyok and Laurent Kassalow at Sankyo Pharma; and Valerie Cain and Joel Raichlen at AstraZeneca for their contributions.

Grant Support: The REVERSAL and CAMELOT studies were funded by Pfizer. The ACTIVATE study was funded by Sankyo. The ASTEROID study was funded by AstraZeneca. Dr. Nicholls is supported by a Ralph Reader Overseas Research Fellowship from the National Heart Foundation of Australia.

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Dr. Sipahi has received an educational grant from Pfizer and lecture honoraria from AstraZeneca. All honoraria are paid directly to charity so that neither income nor any tax deduction is received. Dr. Tuzcu received grant support from Pfizer and Takeda and lecture honoraria from Pfizer. Dr. Nicholls has received lecture honoraria from Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Dr. Schoenhagen has consulted for Takeda without financial compensation. All honoraria are paid directly to higher education so that neither income nor any tax deduction is received. Dr. Nissen has received research support from AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Takeda, Sankyo, and Sanofi-Aventis. He has also consulted for a number of pharmaceutical companies without financial compensation. All honoraria, consulting fees, or other payments from any for-profit entity are paid directly to charity so that neither income nor any tax deduction is received.

Requests for Single Reprints: Steven E. Nissen, MD, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk F15, Cleveland, OH 44195; e-mail, nissens{at}ccf.org.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Sipahi, Nicholls, and Schoenhagen; Ms. Wolski; Mr. Balog; Mr. Magyar; and Mr. Crowe: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk JJ65, Cleveland, OH 44195.

Drs. Tuzcu and Kapadia: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk F25, Cleveland, OH 44195.

Dr. Hu: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk Wb4, Cleveland, OH 44195.

Drs. Shishehbor and Nissen: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk F15, Cleveland, OH 44195.

Author Contributions: Conception and design: I. Sipahi, E.M. Tuzcu, S.J. Nicholls, S. Kapadia.

Analysis and interpretation of the data: I. Sipahi, E.M. Tuzcu, K.E. Wolski, S.J. Nicholls, B. Hu, S. Kapadia.

Drafting of the article: I. Sipahi, S.J. Nicholls, P. Schoenhagen, S. Kapadia.

Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: I. Sipahi, E.M. Tuzcu, S.J. Nicholls, P. Schoenhagen, M. Shishehbor, T.D. Crowe, S. Kapadia, S.E. Nissen.

Final approval of the article: I. Sipahi, E.M. Tuzcu, K.E. Wolski, S.J. Nicholls, P. Schoenhagen, C. Balog, M. Shishehbor, W.A. Magyar, T.D. Crowe, S. Kapadia, S.E. Nissen.

Provision of study materials or patients: I. Sipahi, E.M. Tuzcu, W.A. Magyar.

Statistical expertise: I. Sipahi, K.E. Wolski, B. Hu, C. Balog.

Administrative, technical, or logistic support: E.M. Tuzcu, W.A. Magyar.

Collection and assembly of data: I. Sipahi, W.A. Magyar.


Related articles in Annals:

Letters
β-Blockers and Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis
L. Joe Dunaway
Annals 2008 148: 404. [Full Text]  

Letters
β-Blockers and Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis
Ilke Sipahi AND Steven E. Nissen
Annals 2008 148: 404-405. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J Am Coll CardiolHome page
D. Poldermans, S. E. Hoeks, and H. H. Feringa
Pre-Operative Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction Before Surgery
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., May 20, 2008; 51(20): 1913 - 1924.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ANN INTERN MEDHome page
L. J. Dunaway
{beta}-Blockers and Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis
Ann Intern Med, March 4, 2008; 148(5): 404 - 404.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Journal Watch CardiologyHome page
Beta-Blockers and Coronary Atherosclerosis Progression
Journal Watch Cardiology, August 1, 2007; 2007(801): 4 - 4.
[Full Text]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Sympathetic nervous tone and atherosclerosis
Yujiro Kida
Annals Online, 9 Jul 2007 [Full text]
Reason to question conclusion of meta analysis
L Joe Dunaway
Annals Online, 13 Jul 2007 [Full text]
Beta-blockers and progression of coronary atherosclerosis
Gaetano A Lanza, et al.
Annals Online, 6 Aug 2007 [Full text]
Re: Reason to question conclusion of meta analysis
ILKE SIPAHI, et al.
Annals Online, 17 Aug 2007 [Full text]
Re: Sympathetic nervous tone and atherosclerosis
ILKE SIPAHI, et al.
Annals Online, 17 Aug 2007 [Full text]



 Home | Current Issue | Past Issues | In the Clinic | ACP Journal Club | CME | Collections | Audio/Video | Mobile | Subscribe | Tools | Help | ACP Online 

Copyright © 2007 by the American College of Physicians.