Beta blocker prescribing differences in patients with and without diabetes following a first myocardial infarction

SUMMARY Aims To document the prescribed usage of beta blockers in patients with and without diabetes mellitus discharged from hospital following a first myocardial infarction. Methods All patients with diabetes and a group of patients matched for age and sex without diabetes, admitted with a documented first myocardial infarction during the period 1995–1999 at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK were audited. Results Data were available on 201 patients with diabetes and 199 patients without diabetes. No significant differences existed between the diabetic and non‐diabetic groups for age and sex. Twenty‐three per cent of patients with diabetes were prescribed a beta blocker compared to 52% of non‐diabetic patients (P