Adrenergic beta-blockade is the most potent pharmacological therapy for the improvement of global left ventricular (LV) function in heart failure. A substantial portion of patients responds poorly to beta-blockers, but there is scarce information about LV regional function and recovery. We intended to evaluate the effects of beta-blockade on LV regional function and recovery, contractile reserve (CR) and response to long-term treatment.
Methods: Twenty-two patients with heart failure were investigated at rest and during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE), before and after 6 months of metoprolol treatment. LV function was evaluated by global ejection fraction (EF), and by regional function in basal, mid and apical segments.
Results: Recovery of LV global function (increase in EF >5%) after metoprolol treatment was significantly and best correlated to CR in basal segments of the ventricle (r=0.79, p<0.001), in comparison with function of mid and apical segments. The correlation between global recovery and global CR was r=0.55, p=0.007. In a multivariate logistic regression, including global and regional CR, age, gender, etiology of heart failure, ACE-inhibitor treatment, heart rate, and baseline EF, only basal CR was independently associated with recovery, OR 1.07 [95% CI, 1.01-1.21], p=0.019.
Conclusion: The strongest association for prediction of LV recovery after metoprolol treatment was found regarding function of basal segments of the ventricle. Patients that responded favourably to beta-blockade had a significantly better CR, and treatment effect, in these segments. This gives further evidence for the importance of myocardial function in basal segments to the contribution of recovery and LV global function.