Objectives This subanalysis of the Study of the Effects of Nebivolol Intervention on Outcomes and Hospitalisation in Seniors with Heart Failure (SENIORS) investigates whether treatment with nebivolol, a β-blocker with nitric oxide-releasing properties, can provide additional benefits besides its effects on heart failure (HF), by reducing cardiac ischaemic events in patients with HF of ischaemic aetiology.

Design A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial of nebivolol in 2128 elderly patients.

Patients and interventions For this analysis, data were extracted for 2128 elderly (≥70 years) HF patients in whom coronary artery disease (CAD) was the underlying aetiology (68.2%; 717 placebo-treated patients and 735 assigned to nebivolol).

Main outcome measures The main endpoint was the composite of cardiac ischaemic events at 2 year follow-up: death/hospitalisation for myocardial infarction, unstable angina or sudden death, as originally identified in the case report form.

Results At follow-up, nebivolol treatment was associated with a one-third reduction in the risk of ischaemic events, the composite endpoint occurring in 15.9% of placebo and 10.7% of nebivolol-treated patients (HR 0.68; 95% CI 0.51 to 0.90; p=0.008). This effect was independent of age, gender and ejection fraction. No difference in this composite endpoint was observed in the subgroup of patients of non-ischaemic aetiology.

Conclusions Nebivolol was effective in reducing cardiac ischaemic events in patients with HF of ischaemic aetiology. The prevention of ischaemic events can be an additional beneficial effect of β-blockade in HF patients with underlying CAD.