Intravenous Beta-Blockade in Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract
Beta-blocking drugs are increasingly prescribed in coronary heart disease, but controversy surrounds the hemodynamic relevance of their ancillary pharmacologic properties — cardioselectivity and intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. We therefore compared the effects of four intravenous beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists with different ancillary properties on left ventricular function in 24 patients with coronary heart disease.