TY - JOUR T1 - Adverse effects of beta-blockade withdrawal in patients with congestive cardiomyopathy. JF - British Heart Journal JO - Heart SP - 134 LP - 142 DO - 10.1136/hrt.44.2.134 VL - 44 IS - 2 AU - K Swedberg AU - A Hjalmarson AU - F Waagstein AU - I Wallentin Y1 - 1980/08/01 UR - http://heart.bmj.com/content/44/2/134.abstract N2 - Fifteen patients with congestive cardiomyopathy who had improved conspicuously on chronic administration of a beta-blocker were studied after withdrawal of the drug. In six patients there was a pronounced deterioration of their clinical condition, and in all of the remaining patients there was a significant decrease in ejection fraction, and signs of compromised diastolic function with pathological apex curves and an increase in third heart sound. All these changes were reversed within a few weeks to a few months after readministration of beta-blocking drugs. This study supports the idea that an aetiological factor in congestive cardiomyopathy may be a pathological response to sympathetic stimulation which could be partly controlled by administration of beta-blocking drugs. ER -