US EditionAfter a heart attack, beta-blockers are often a lifelong medicine. Maybe they shouldn’t be
In the SMART-DECISION trial of 2,540 stable post-heart attack patients, stopping beta-blockers after one year proved as safe as continuing them for death, recurrent MI, or heart failure hospitalization.
- On Monday, March 30, researchers presented results at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session showing that stopping beta-blockers one year after a heart attack is safe for stable patients without heart failure.
- For more than 40 years, beta-blockers have been the standard treatment after heart attacks, but modern advances in angioplasty and preventive medications have prompted doctors to question whether lifelong use remains necessary for stable patients.
- The SMART-DECISION trial evaluated 2,540 stable patients in South Korea between 2021 and 2024, finding that those discontinuing beta-blockers experienced a primary endpoint of death, recurrent heart attack or heart failure hospitalization in 7.2% versus 9% for those continuing.
- Dr. Joo-Yong Hahn, cardiologist at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, stated that "routine lifelong therapy may not be necessary" for stable patients, recommending shared decision-making conversations about discontinuation one year after a heart attack.
- Researchers cautioned that the trial was conducted only in South Korea, and further studies are needed to determine whether discontinuation is safe for higher-risk patients, women, and those with mildly reduced heart function in other populations.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Stopping beta-blockers after heart attack is safe for low-risk patients, study finds
Among stable, relatively low-risk patients who had previously suffered a heart attack, discontinuing beta-blockers after at least one year was found to be non-inferior, or comparable, to continuing beta-blockers in terms of death, another heart attack or hospitalization for heart failure, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).
Drop the Beta-Blocker Long After a Stabilized MI? Not a Bad Idea After All
(MedPage Today) -- NEW ORLEANS -- The beta-blockers routinely used after myocardial infarction (MI) can be reasonably stopped after a year in some patients, the SMART-DECISION trial found. In stabilized heart attack survivors without heart failure...
Discontinuing beta-blockers 1 year after heart attack safe for low-risk patients
NEW ORLEANS — In stable patients without heart failure, discontinuing beta-blockers 1 year after a heart attack was noninferior to continued use for all-cause death, recurrent MI or HF hospitalization, researchers reported. “The SMART-DECISION trial is the first randomized study to demonstrate the noninferiority of beta-blocker discontinuation in post-MI patients without left
Discontinuing beta-blockers after heart attack found to be safe for low-risk patients
Among stable, relatively low-risk patients who had previously suffered a heart attack, discontinuing beta-blockers after at least one year was found to be non-inferior, or comparable, to continuing beta-blockers in terms of death, another heart attack or hospitalization for heart failure, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.
After a heart attack, beta-blockers are often a lifelong medicine – but maybe they shouldn’t be
For decades, surviving a heart attack has come with a lifelong prescription: Stay on medications called beta-blockers to help protect your heart. But doctors are taking a closer look at whether long-term beta-blocker use is really necessary, especially beyond the first year of recovery.
Common heart drug taken by millions found useless, possibly risky
Beta blockers, used for decades after heart attacks, provide no benefit for patients with preserved heart function, according to the REBOOT trial. The massive study also found women faced higher risks when taking the drug. Experts say the results will change heart treatment guidelines worldwide.
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