EUROPEAN INFARCTION STUDY (EIS) - A SECONDARY PREVENTION STUDY WITH SLOW RELEASE OXPRENOLOL AFTER MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION - MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 5  (3) , 189-202
Abstract
A multicenter, double-blind, randomized study was carried out to compare the effect on survival, cardiac mortality and non-fatal cardiac events of oxprenolol slow release 160 mg b.i.d. [twice daily] compared with placebo in 1741 patients 35-69 yr of age who survived acute myocardial infarction. The patients were entered 14-36 days after infarction and were followed for 1 yr. Recruitment was discontinued before the scheduled 4000 patients were entered. There were 57 deaths (6.6%) in patients randomized with respect to oxprenolol as compared with 45 deaths (5.1%) in patients randomized with respect to placebo. The difference in cumulative mortality rates (30.4%) is not statistically significant. Patients (275) from each treatment group discontinued trial medication. The proportion of deaths was noted to be higher in patients who discontinued trial medication (oxprenolol 13.1%; placebo 7.6%) and in patients 65-69 yr (oxprenolol 16.7%; placebo 5.6%). In the 1472 patients < 65 yr of age there was a tendency to a lower mortality in 478 high risk patients on .beta.-blockade [oxprenolol 16 patients (6.9%); placebo 25 patients (10.2%)] as compared with a somewhat higher mortality in the corresponding low risk group (oxprenolol 20 patients [4.0%]; placebo 12 patients [2.4]). In the 1010 patients < 65 yr of age who continued on trial medication, 15 patients (3%) in the oxprenolol group and 22 patients (4.3%) in the placebo group died. The overall results failed to confirm apparently positive effects in other secondary prevention trials. Debate especially concerns patients > 65 yr of age, patients at relatively low risk and patients who discontinued oxprenolol treatment.