Beta-blocker treatment of chronic systolic heart failure improves prognosis even in patients meeting one or more exclusion criteria of the MERIT-HF study.

Aims: Improved prognosis of patients with chronic systolic heart failure by treatment with beta-blockers has been shown in several randomized controlled multicentre trials. However, in clinical practice only a part of heart failure patients meet the inclusion criteria of these trials. The present study evaluates whether reduction of mortality by beta-blockers also can be achieved in patients presenting one or more exclusion criteria of the MERIT-HF trial.

Do statins influence the prognostic impact of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia after ST-elevation myocardial infarction?

Aims: The study evaluates the effect of statin therapy on the prognostic impact of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) occurring after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods And Results: From the German Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry (ACOS), 3137 patients with STEMI and in-hospital Holter monitoring were analysed. Three hundred and forty-six (11.