A clinical trial conducted in South Korea concluded that heart attack survivors who are stable and in a relatively low-risk group can stop taking common medications known as beta-blockers after one year, instead of taking them for life. The study included 2540 patients who recovered from a heart attack, and doctors prescribed them to take beta-blocker medications, such as metoprolol, which is sold under the brand names «Lopressor and Atenolol». Researchers reported at the American College of Cardiology's Scientific Session in New Orleans that those who stopped taking the drug after at least 12 months had similar odds of death, additional heart attacks, or hospitalization for heart failure as those who continued taking it. Details of the study, also published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicate that after a median follow-up period of three and a half years, one or more major adverse events occurred in 7.2% of those who stopped taking beta-blockers, compared to 9% of those who continued taking them. For a long time, beta-blockers, which lower heart rate and blood pressure, have been a cornerstone of treatment to reduce the risk of subsequent cardiac problems after a heart attack, but studies that confirmed their benefits were conducted decades ago, before modern treatments and medications became available. The study's lead author, Dr. Chu Young Han from Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, stated: «In practice, stopping treatment can be considered for stable patients who had a heart attack several years ago, through a shared decision-making process while monitoring blood pressure and heart rate». He added: «For patients experiencing side effects related to beta-blockers, such as fatigue, dizziness, slow heart rate, and low blood pressure, the rationale for stopping them is stronger».
