Safety of therapeutic beta-blockade in patients with coexisting bronchospastic airway disease and coronary artery disease.

Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and bronchospastic airway disease frequently coexist in older patients. There are substantial data suggesting reduced mortality with the use of beta-adrenergic blocking drugs in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease, especially patients who have postmyocardial infarction and/or severe coronary artery disease associated with left ventricular dysfunction. Conversely, the use of beta-adrenergic blocking drugs (even selective beta(1)-adrenergic blocking drugs) has the potential of exacerbating bronchospasm. This prospective registry evaluates the safety of use of selective beta(1)-adrenergic blocking drugs in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease and bronchospastic airway disease. A total of 835 consecutive patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease were prospectively evaluated for coexisting coronary and bronchospastic airway disease. Of these, 30 patients (mean age: 61 +/- 14 years) met the qualifying inclusion criteria. All these study patients except 1 (29/30 [96%]) reached therapeutic beta-blockade (resting heart rate <70 beats per minute). The 1 patient who discontinued use of beta-adrenergic blocking drugs as a result of lifestyle-limiting bronchospasm had no serious adverse outcome. No hospitalizations were required because of worsening bronchospasm. Ten percent of patients reported increased requirement of inhaled beta(2)-agonist use. The patients were followed for 15 +/- 9 months. One patient died of stroke at 22 weeks of follow-up. In conclusion, use of selective beta(1)-adrenergic blocking drugs at a therapeutic dose is safe (as long as careful clinical follow-up is available) and should be considered in all patients with coexisting symptomatic coronary artery disease and bronchospastic airway disease.