The cardiovascular safety of interrupting beta-blocker could not be shown in comparison to continuation in patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) and there was no benefit to the patients' quality of life, according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2024. Improvements in MI management and data from observational studies have led physicians to question whether continuing beta-blockers after 1 year post-MI is needed since unnecessary treatment may result in side effects. We conducted the ABYSS trial to provide conclusive randomized data on the effects of beta-blocker interruption vs.
continuation on cardiovascular events and quality of life, but we were unable to show safety preservation in terms of clinical events nor any benefit on quality of life with beta-blocker interruption." Johanne Silvain, Principal Investigator, Professor, Sorbonne University, Paris, France The open-label, non-inferiority, randomized ABYSS trial, conducted by the ACTION Group, included patients with a prior MI taking long-term beta-blockers, with a left ventricular ejection fraction of at least 40% and no cardiovascular events in the previous 6 months. Participants were randomized (1:1) to interrupting or continuing their β-blocker medication.
The primary endpoint was a composite of death, non-fatal MI, non-fatal stroke or hospitalization for cardiovascular reasons at the longest follow-up (minimum, 1 year), according to an analysis of non-i.