Efficacy of pre-scan beta-blockade and impact of heart rate on image quality in patients undergoing coronary multidetector computed tomography angiography

Abstract Objective While beta-blockers are routinely administered to patients prior to coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), their effectiveness is unknown. We therefore assessed the efficacy of beta-blockade with regards to heart rate (HR) control and image quality in an unselected patient cohort. Methods We studied 150 consecutive patients (104 men/46 female; mean age, 56 ± 13 years) referred for coronary CTA. Intravenous metoprolol (5–20 mg) was administered to patients with a HR >65 beats per minute (bpm). The goal HR was defined as an average HR