RT Journal
A1 Sin DD, Man S
T1 A curious case of β-blockers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2010
FD May 24
VO 170
IS 10
SP 849
OP 850
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.97
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2010.97
AB 
β-Blockers are highly efficacious in the treatment of congestive heart failure and ischemic coronary syndromes and can reduce the total mortality of patients with these disorders by 30% to 40%.1 However, their use is frequently withheld inpatients who have coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) because clinicians fear that β-blockers will provoke bronchospasm and induce respiratory failure in these patients. Not surprisingly, large epidemiological studies have shown that fewer than one-third of patients with COPD receive β-blockers after an acute coronary event2 despite compelling data that they prolong life and improve health outcomes in such patients.1