@article {BandyopadhyayERJ-02155-2014, author = {Debabrata Bandyopadhyay and Navkaranbir S. Bajaj and Joe Zein and Omar A. Minai and Raed A. Dweik}, title = {Outcomes of β-blocker use in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a propensity-matched analysis}, elocation-id = {ERJ-02155-2014}, year = {2015}, doi = {10.1183/09031936.00215514}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {The utility and safety of β-blockers in pulmonary hypertension is controversial. Anecdotal reports suggest that β-blockers may be harmful in these patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate outcomes of β-blocker use in pulmonary hypertension.We reviewed patients from our pulmonary hypertension registry between 2000 and 2011. Patients who continued to use β-blockers were compared to those who never used β-blockers for all-cause mortality, time to clinical worsening events, defined as death, lung transplantation and hospitalisation due to pulmonary hypertension. We also evaluated the effect of β-blockers on 6-min walking distance and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class.133 patients used β-blockers and 375 patients never used β-blockers. Mean{\textpm}sd age was 57{\textpm}16 years and the median follow-up period was 78 months. Propensity-matched analysis showed that the adjusted odds ratio (95\% CI) for mortality with β-blocker use was 1.13 (0.69{\textendash}1.82) and for clinical worsening events was 0.96 (0.55{\textendash}1.68). No significant difference was noted in probability of survival and time to clinical worsening events. Patients on β-blockers walked a shorter distance on follow-up 6 min walk test; follow-up NYHA class was similar between groups.Pulmonary hypertension patients receiving β-blockers had a similar survival and time to clinical worsening events compared to patients not receiving them. Functional outcomes were similar, although β-blocker use was associated with a tendency towards shorter walking distance.β-blocker use does not affect survival, symptom worsening or functional capacity in pulmonary hypertension http://ow.ly/KqFLk}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2015/05/28/09031936.00215514}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2015/05/28/09031936.00215514.full.pdf}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }