Abstract
BACKGROUND: Elevated heart rate in patients with acute ischemic stroke is associated with increased risk of mortality. Beta-blocker therapy is well known to reduce heart rate. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study was a post hoc analysis of patients with acute ischemic stroke with maximum heart rates ≥100 bpm. Beta-blocker use, assessed on the eighth day after the index stroke, was categorized as persistent or nonpersistent based on usage up to 39 months. The primary outcome was a composite of stroke recurrence, myocardial infarction, and mortality within the first year. Long-term mortality, a secondary outcome, was tracked for up to 10 years. Among 5049 patients (women, 38%; mean age, 68.5 years), 32.1% were prescribed beta blockers by the eighth day after stroke, and 99% had prior beta-blocker use. One-year cumulative incidences of the primary outcome, stroke recurrence, and death were 27.8%, 3.5%, and 25.8%, respectively. Persistent beta-blocker use was associated with a significant reduction in the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.81 [95% CI, 0.68-0.97]) and mortality (adjusted HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.69-0.94]) from 2 months to 1 year. Extended analysis of mortality for up to 10 years showed long-term benefits of beta-blocker use. Analyses subdividing patients into persistent users, discontinuers, and never-users suggested higher early mortality risk among discontinuers and potential late survival benefits for persistent users. Subgroup analyses demonstrated greater benefits in patients <75 years, and those with atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, and higher mean heart rates. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that continuation of beta-blocker therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke with tachycardia significantly reduces long-term mortality.