Usefulness of Beta Blockers in High-Risk Patients After Myocardial Infarction in Conjunction With Captopril and/or Valsartan (from the VALsartan In Acute Myocardial Infarction [VALIANT] Trial)

Concern has been raised about combining β blockers with angiotensin-receptor blockers in patients with heart failure. The VALsartan In Acute myocardial infarction (VALIANT) trial enrolled 14,703 patients with myocardial infarction complicated by heart failure or documented left ventricular systolic dysfunction. These patients were randomly allocated to treatment with valsartan, captopril, or both. Physicians were also encouraged to prescribe β blockers because of previous evidence of benefit. The baseline characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were compared among 4 groups: patients taking β blockers at admission only, at discharge only, at both admission and discharge, and neither. Patients treated with β blockers were at lower risk than those not treated at any period. Those treated with β blockers at both intervals had a lower 3-year mortality rate (17.7%) than those treated only at randomization (30.7%) or only at discharge (25.9%). The greatest mortality (35.1%) occurred in patients not treated at either point. No statistically significant interaction with prognosis was observed between β-blocker use and treatment with valsartan or valsartan plus captopril. Patients discharged with a β blocker had a significant survival advantage after adjustment for differences in baseline characteristics and intervening complications (hazard ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.81 to 0.98, p = 0.02). This association was most pronounced in patients prescribed consistent β blockers at randomization and discharge and was present in both patients with impaired and those with preserved systolic left ventricular function. These results have further confirmed that β blockers reduce the risk of death and nonfatal cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure or systolic left ventricular dysfunction after myocardial infarction. In conclusion, no evidence was found of adverse interactions between the angiotensin-receptor blocker valsartan and β blockers or of a negative effect of the combination of valsartan, captopril, and β blockers.