Beta-blocker therapy in heart transplant recipients: A review

Abstract

Beta-blockers are essential drugs for the treatment of many cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, acute and chronic ischemic heart disease, tachyarrhythmias, and hypertension. However, these drugs have not been used in cardiac transplant patients for many years owing to the fear that they could reduce cardiac output and functional capacity. In recent years, however, some evidence has shown that even in cardiac transplanted patients, β-blockers are useful and effective in the treatment of sinus tachycardia, supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and arterial hypertension. Furthermore, some data have shown that the use of β-blockers is associated with reduced mortality in heart transplant recipients. In this review, we summarize this evidence with particular emphasis on the practical aspects of the use of β-blockers in post-transplantation patients to promote the use of this important class of drugs in clinical practice.

Keywords: arrhythmias; heart rate; heart transplant; β-blockers.