Is beta-blockade useful in heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation? An analysis of data from two previously completed prospective trials.

Background: Beta-adrenergic blockade is of proven value in chronic heart failure. It is uncertain, however, if beta-blockade provides a similar degree of clinical benefit for heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) as those in sinus rhythm (SR).

Aims: To compare the effectiveness of beta blockade in patients with heart failure and AF.

Slow breathing increases arterial baroreflex sensitivity in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: It is well established that a depressed baroreflex sensitivity may adversely influence the prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and in those with previous myocardial infarction.

Methods And Results: We tested whether a slow breathing rate (6 breaths/min) could modify the baroreflex sensitivity in 81 patients with stable (2 weeks) CHF (age, 58+/-1 years; NYHA classes I [6 patients], II [33], III [27], and IV [15]) and in 21 controls. Slow breathing induced highly significant increases in baroreflex sensitivity, both in controls (from 9.