Electrophysiological effects of carvedilol administration in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Purpose Several studies suggest the clinical efficacy of carvedilol in reducing atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) due to congestive heart failure (CHF) or following myocardial infarction. However, the mechanisms supporting its antiarrhythmic efficacy have been derived from experimental studies. In this prospective, placebo-controlled trial we examined the electrophysiological effects of a high oral dose of carvedilol in patients with CHF and LVD due to non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods Thirty-one patients with stable CHF underwent electrophysiological study and were randomly assigned to treatment with carvedilol or placebo. After 2 months of treatment the study was repeated. Results Carvedilol prolonged almost all conduction times. In the same group atrial and ventricular effective refractory periods were significantly prolonged, while the parameters of repolarization remained virtually unchanged. The prolongation of refractoriness was most pronounced in the atrium. The change in ventricular refractoriness was correlated with ejection fraction (r=0.94, p<0.01) suggesting that patients with more preserved left ventricular function responded to treatment with greater prolongation. Conclusion Even after a short period of administration carvedilol has marked and diffused electrophysiological effects that would be beneficial for patients with CHF and may contribute to the positive outcome of clinical trials.