Efficacy and Safety of Beta Blockers for Patients with Myocardial Infarction in the Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Era: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background Beta-blockers are commonly prescribed to patients after MI. However, the evidence is based on studies conducted before the widespread use of PCI for treating MI. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate beta-blockers’ efficacy post-MI in the modern day and age. Methods We conducted our search using and one clinical trial registry to get RCTs and propensity-matched observational studies comparing the use of beta-blockers after MI to control in post-MI patients. The primary outcome of our analysis was the likelihood of all-cause mortality. Results Our analysis included 3 RCTs and 12 propensity-matched observational studies with a total study population of 102,794. Our results showed a statistically significant decrease in all-cause mortality in the beta-blocker group compared to the non-beta-blocker group (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.47-0.83; p= 0.001). However, this decrease was not observed when only RCTs were considered (RR 0.91). Beta-blockers were also found to reduce the risk of MI and heart failure with RR of 0.86 (95% CI 0.75-1.00; p=0.05) and 0.84 (95% CI 0.73-0.97; p=0.02), respectively. Conclusion Beta-blockers effectively reduce mortality and decrease the risk of MI and heart failure without a significant increase in adverse effects. Thus, our findings support the contemporary use of beta blockers in post-MI patients. However, more long-term studies need to be done to determine the sustained benefits of beta blockers in the context of evolving cardiac care.