Are β-blockers as efficacious in patients with diabetes mellitus as in patients without diabetes mellitus who have chronic heart failure? A meta-analysis of large-scale clinical trials

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a frequent comorbid condition in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and confers a worse prognosis. Furthermore, although patients with CHF derive considerable benefit from β-blockers, these agents are thought by many physicians to be contraindicated in patients with diabetes mellitus. Most published studies on β-blockers in CHF have been unable to reach definitive conclusions about the mortality benefits of these agents in patients with diabetes mellitus. We therefore performed a meta-analysis of β-blocker trials that reported mortality outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus who had CHF to pool all available trial evidence on the benefits (or othe..