b-Blocker Use and Mortality in COPD Patients After Myocardial Infarction: A Swedish Nationwide Observational Study

Background-—Patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitute a high-risk group with increased mortality. b-Blocker therapy has been shown to reduce mortality, prevent arrhythmias, and delay heart failure development after an MI in broad populations. However, the effect of b-blockers in COPD patients is less well established and they may also be less treated due to fear of adverse reactions. We investigated b-blocker prescription at discharge in patients with COPD after MI.