Objectives

The Beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial was designed to determine whether bucindolol hydrochloride- a nonselective beta-adrenergic blocker and mild vasodilator- would reduce the rate of death from any cause among patients with advanced heart failure and to assess its effects in various subgroups defined by ethnic background and demographic criteria- specifically women and members of minority groups.

Background

Although beta-adrenergic-receptor antagonists reduce morbidity and Mortality in patients with mild-to-moderate chronic heart failure, their effort on survival in patients with more advanced heart failure is unknown.

Participants

A total of 2,708 patients with heat failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 35 percent or lower were randomly assigned to double-blind treatment with either bucindolol (1,354 patients) or placebo (1,354 patients) and followed for the primary end point of death from any cause.

Conclusions

Bucindolol resulted in no significant overall survival benefit. (N Engl J Med 2001;344:1659-67)

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