Beta Blockers or Calcium Channel Blockers as Primary Antianginal Drug after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Prescription Pattern and its association with Clinical Outcome

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Although guideline recommends beta blockers (BBs) as first line antianginal agent and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) as alternatives after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the prescription patterns in real practice are not in accordance with the guideline. We aimed to investigate the prescribing patterns of primary antianginal drug and relating factors in patients who underwent PCI. METHODS: Patients who have undergone PCI without myocardial infarction (MI) from November 2012 to June 2014 and followed up at least one year in a tertiary teaching hospital were included. Prescribing patterns of primary antianginal drug before, at the time of, and one year after PCI were described. Factors affecting drug selection, and their relationship with incidence of clinical outcomes defined as MI and repeated PCI, unscheduled admission or visit related with heart problem were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 506 patients were included and as primary antianginal drugs, BB, CCB, and both were prescribed in 32.2%, 24.5%, and 17.8% of patients, respectively. Also, neither BB nor CCB was prescribed at the time of PCI in 25.5% of patients. Compared with BB, CCBs were more likely prescribed in patients who had hypertension (Odds Ratio, OR 2.18, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.16-4.07), use of same class before PCI (OR 7.18, 3.37-15.2) and concomitant angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) use (OR, 1.92, 95% CI 1.10-3.33). Incidence of clinical outcomes were not significantly greater in patients who prescribed CCB compared with BB at the time of PCI (aOR 1.32, CI 0.65-2.68). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that half of the patients who underwent PCI were prescribed BB. CCB were favored in patients with hypertension, use of same class before PCI, and concomitant ARB use. Significant difference in clinical outcome was not observed between BB and CCB selection as primary antianginal drug.