Effect of acebutolol on left ventricular performance.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Left ventricular (LV) function is crucial in managing coronary artery disease (CAD).
• Beta blockers are commonly used for CAD, but their effects on LV function require careful evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effects of acebutolol on left ventricular performance in patients with coronary artery disease.
• To compare acebutolol with placebo and propranolol regarding LV function.

Main Methods:

• Three noninvasive studies were conducted.
• M-mode echocardiography, gated myocardial blood pool imaging (99mTc-RBCs), and single-pass radionuclide studies (113In) were utilized.
• Double-blind, randomized, crossover, and placebo-controlled designs were employed.

Main Results:

• Neither acebutolol nor propranolol depressed LV function in patients with normal resting LV function.
• Acebutolol showed no significant negative effect on LV performance at rest or during exercise in chronic angina patients.
• Acebutolol modestly improved resting global and regional myocardial function and had no significant negative inotropic effects in stable angina.

Conclusions:

• Acebutolol is safe for patients with coronary disease and a broad range of ejection fractions.
• As with all beta blockers, cautious use of acebutolol is recommended in patients with markedly reduced resting LV function.