An individual patient data meta-analysis from heart failure patients in sinus rhythm at baseline revealed that β blockers were effective in reducing mortality and hospitalization for heart failure across all ages and sexes. The study included 13 833 patients from 11 trials with left ventricular ejection fraction <0.45; age 40-85 (median age 64); 24% women. The absolute reduction in mortality was 4.3% over a median follow-up of 1.3 years. The effect in reducing admission to hospital for heart failure was attenuated at older ages. There was no evidence of an interaction between treatment effect and sex in any age group. In contrast, morbidity and mortality are not improved by β blockers in heart failure patients with concomitant atrial fibrillation. Source: http://www.bmj.com/; http://www.thelancet.com/
无论年龄和性别，β阻滞剂对心衰患者有效：对窦性心律心衰患者个体数据的荟萃分析表明，β阻滞剂有效地降低了所有年龄和性别的死亡率及心衰所致住院。该研究共包括11个临床试验的13833例患者，左室射血分数<0.45; 40-85岁（平均年龄64）; 24％为女性。在平均随访1.3年期间绝对死亡率减少了4.3％。对年龄较大者减少心衰所致住院的效果有所减弱。在任何年龄组均无治疗效果和性别之间相互影响的证据。相比之下，β阻滞剂并未改善心衰伴随房颤患者的发病率和死亡率。来源：http://www.bmj.com/; http://www.thelancet.com/