EFFECT OF ALPRENOLOL ON MORTALITY AMONG PATIENTS WITH DEFINITE OR SUSPECTED ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: Preliminary Results

A double-blind study of alprenolol versus placebo was done in patients with definite or suspected myocardial infarction to show the effect of the drug on mortality-rate after a year of treatment in patients aged ≤65 and to study the tolerance of the drug by patients >65 years of age. The dose given was 5-10 mg intravenously, followed by 200 mg twice a day, orally. Patients in whom β-blockade was contraindicated were excluded. All deaths, side-effects, and dropouts were recorded. Of the 480 patients in the study, 238 patients received alprenolol and 242 placebo. During the year of follow-up 108 patients dropped out from the study. Mortality was not reduced in patients >65 years of age. In those ≤65 years alprenolol significantly reduced mortality-rate (20% mortality in placebo group vs 9% in treated group). There was also a significant reduction in mortality-rate among those with definite infarction (28% in the placebo vs 15% in the treated group).