• Kristin H J M Mol, Victor G B Liem, Felix van Lier, Robert Jan Stolker, and Sanne E Hoeks.
• Department of Anesthesia, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: k.mol@erasmusmc.nl.
• J Clin Anesth. 2023 Oct 1; 89: 111143111143.

Study ObjectiveTo explore the incidence of intraoperative hypotension in patients with chronic beta-blocker therapy, expressed as time spent, area and time-weighted average under predefined mean arterial pressure thresholds.DesignRetrospective analysis of a prospective observational cohort registry.SettingPatients ≥60 years undergoing intermediate- to high-risk noncardiac surgery with routine postoperative troponin measurements on the first three days after surgery.Patients1468 matched sets of patients (1:1 ratio with replacement) with and without chronic beta-blocker treatment.InterventionsNone.MeasurementsThe primary outcome was the exposure to intraoperative hypotension in beta-blocker users vs. non-users. Time spent, area and time-weighted average under predefined mean arterial pressure thresholds (55-75 mmHg) were calculated to express the duration and severity of exposure. Secondary outcomes included incidence of postoperative myocardial injury and thirty-day mortality, myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Furthermore, analyses for patient subgroup and beta-blocker subtype were conducted.Main ResultsIn patients with chronic beta-blocker therapy, no increased exposure to intraoperative hypotension was observed for all characteristics and thresholds calculated (all P > .05). Beta-blocker users had lower heart rate before, during and after surgery (70 vs. 74, 61 vs. 65 and 68 vs. 74 bpm, all P < .001, respectively). Postoperative myocardial injury (13.6% vs. 11.6%, P = .269) and thirty-day mortality (2.5% vs. 1.4%, P = .055), MI (1.4% vs. 1.5%, P = .944) and stroke (1.0% vs 0.7%, P =  .474) rates were comparable. The results were consistent in subtype and subgroup analyses.ConclusionsIn this matched cohort analysis, chronic beta-blocker therapy was not associated with increased exposure to intraoperative hypotension in patients undergoing intermediate- to high-risk noncardiac surgery. Furthermore, differences in patient subgroups and postoperative adverse cardiovascular events as a function of treatment regimen could not be demonstrated.Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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