Treatment of congestive heart failure with beta-adrenergic blockers: a brief review of literature.

The importance of the adrenergic nervous system in support of hemodynamics in patients with congestive heart failure has been known for a long time. Thus, when beneficial effects of beta-blocker therapy in patients with resistant congestive heart failure were reported more than two decades ago, such an approach was deemed counterintuitive. Despite the skepticism, numerous reports, including well-planned, randomized studies, confirmed the beneficial effects of various beta-blockers on congestive heart failure. Recently, a new generation of beta-blocker, carvedilol (Coreg), which combines nonselective beta-blocking and vasodilating properties, was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of congestive heart failure. This article is a brief historical review of the literature regarding the use of beta-blockers for the treatment of congestive heart failure.