Current guidelines on the management of heart failure do not differentiate the treatment on the basis of age or gender. Generally, older patients often receive less evidence based treatment and hence there is an uncertainty about the optimum management of elderly patients with heart failure reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The study reported in this article has determined the tolerability of β blockers in the broad age range of women and men with HFrEF.
What Is Known β blockers reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF). With an increasing age, patients have less marked reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction compared to relatively younger patients. Hence, there are theoretical concerns about altered pharmacokinetics in older people that might need to adjust the dose required or the tolerability of the…
