Oxprenolol in myocardial infarction survivors: brief review of the European Infarction Study results in the light of other beta-blocker post infarction trials.

TLDR: It is concluded that a protective effect on sudden death in myocardial infarction survivors is related to beta-blockade, and high dose oxprenolol treatment might be deleterious to some patients with more enhanced coronary heart disease.

Abstract: The European Infarction Study (EIS) was a multicentre, double-blind, randomized study comparing the effect on survival, cardiac mortality and non-fatal cardiac events of oxprenolol slow release 160 mg b.i.d. with placebo in 1741 patients aged 35 to 69 years surviving acute myocardial infarction. During the one year follow-up there was a 30% difference in the cumulative mortality rate in favor of placebo. In the oxprenolol group the mortality was noted to be higher in patients who were 65–69 years of age. In general, there was a higher incidence of fatal reinfarctions and of sudden death in those, who discontinued study medication.