Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial (BHAT)

Summary

To determine whether the regular administration of the beta-blocker drug propranolol to people who had had at least one documented myocardial infarction would result in a significant reduction of mortality from all causes over the follow-up period. Eligible volunteer patients were recruited to participate in a double-blind clinical trial within 21 days after the onset of the acute event. One-half of the patients were randomly assigned to a beta-blocking drug (propranolol) and one-half to a placebo. The trial also evaluated the effect of propranolol on incidences of coronary heart disease mortality, sudden cardiac death, and nonfatal myocardial infarction plus coronary heart disease mortality in persons with documented previous myocardial infarction.

Timeline

Start

1977-09

Primary completion

—

Completion

1981-10

Publications

• Background Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial Study Group: Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial Study Protocol. DHHS Pub. No. (NIH)81-2209, 1980.
• Background The beta-blocker heart attack trial. beta-Blocker Heart Attack Study Group. JAMA. 1981 Nov 6;246(18):2073-4.
• Background Howard JM, DeMets D. How informed is informed consent? The BHAT experience. Control Clin Trials. 1981 Dec;2(4):287-303. doi: 10.1016/0197-2456(81)90019-2.
• Background Beta Blocker Heart Attack Trial: design features. Control Clin Trials. 1981 Dec;2(4):275-85. doi: 10.1016/0197-2456(81)90018-0.
• Background A randomized trial of propranolol in patients with acute myocardial infarction. I. Mortality results. JAMA. 1982 Mar 26;247(12):1707-14. doi: 10.1001/jama.1982.03320370021023.
• Background Furberg CD, Byington RP. What do subgroup analyses reveal about differential response to beta-blocker therapy? The Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial experience. Circulation. 1983 Jun;67(6 Pt 2):I98-101.
• Background A randomized trial of propranolol in patients with acute myocardial infarction. II. Morbidity results. JAMA. 1983 Nov 25;250(20):2814-9. doi: 10.1001/jama.1983.03340200048027.
• Background Goldstein S. The Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial in perspective. Cardiology. 1983;70(5):255-62. doi: 10.1159/000173602.
• Background Shulman RS, Herbert PN, Capone RJ, McClure D, Hawkins CM, Henderson LO, Saritelli A, Campbell J. Effects of propranolol on blood lipids and lipoproteins in myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1983 Jun;67(6 Pt 2):I19-21.
• Background Lichstein E, Morganroth J, Harrist R, Hubble E. Effect of propranolol on ventricular arrhythmia. The beta-blocker heart attack trial experience. Circulation. 1983 Jun;67(6 Pt 2):I5-10.
• Background Goldstein S. Propranolol therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction: the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Circulation. 1983 Jun;67(6 Pt 2):I53-7.
• Background Byington RP. Beta-blocker heart attack trial: design, methods, and baseline results. Beta-blocker heart attack trial research group. Control Clin Trials. 1984 Dec;5(4):382-437. doi: 10.1016/s0197-2456(84)80017-3.
• Background Haywood LJ. Coronary heart disease mortality/morbidity and risk in blacks. I: Clinical manifestations and diagnostic criteria: the experience with the Beta Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Am Heart J. 1984 Sep;108(3 Pt 2):787-93. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(84)90672-0.
• Background Furberg CD, Hawkins CM, Lichstein E. Effect of propranolol in postinfarction patients with mechanical or electrical complications. Circulation. 1984 Apr;69(4):761-5. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.69.4.761.
• Background DeMets DL, Hardy R, Friedman LM, Lan KK. Statistical aspects of early termination in the beta-blocker heart attack trial. Control Clin Trials. 1984 Dec;5(4):362-72. doi: 10.1016/s0197-2456(84)80015-x.
• Background Byington RP, Curb JD, Mattson ME. Assessment of double-blindness at the conclusion of the beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. JAMA. 1985 Mar 22-29;253(12):1733-6.
• Background Byington R, Goldstein S. Association of digitalis therapy with mortality in survivors of acute myocardial infarction: observations in the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1985 Nov;6(5):976-82. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(85)80297-7.
• Background Morganroth J, Lichstein E, Byington R. Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial: impact of propranolol therapy on ventricular arrhythmias. Prev Med. 1985 May;14(3):346-57. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(85)90061-1.
• Background Bell RL, Curb JD, Friedman LM, McIntyre KM, Payton-Ross C. Enhancement of visit adherence in the national beta-blocker heart attack trial. Control Clin Trials. 1985 Jun;6(2):89-101. doi: 10.1016/0197-2456(85)90114-x.
• Background Bell RL, Curb JD, Friedman LM, Payne GH. Termination of clinical trials: the beta-blocker heart attack trial and the hypertension detection and follow-up program experience. Control Clin Trials. 1985 Jun;6(2):102-11. doi: 10.1016/0197-2456(85)90115-1.
• Background Walle T, Byington RP, Furberg CD, McIntyre KM, Vokonas PS. Biologic determinants of propranolol disposition: results from 1308 patients in the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1985 Nov;38(5):509-18. doi: 10.1038/clpt.1985.216.
• Background Goldstein S, Byington R. The Beta Blocker Heart Attack Trial: recruitment experience. Control Clin Trials. 1987 Dec;8(4 Suppl):79S-85S. doi: 10.1016/0197-2456(87)90010-9.
• Background Furberg CD, Friedman LM, MacMahon SW: Women as Participants in Trials of the Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Part II. Secondary Prevention: The Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial and the Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study, in: Coronary Heart Disease in Women. Ed Eaker, B Packard, NK Wenger, TB Clarkson, HA Tyroler (Eds). New York, Haymarket Doyma, pp 241-246, 1987.
• Background Kostis JB, Byington R, Friedman LM, Goldstein S, Furberg C. Prognostic significance of ventricular ectopic activity in survivors of acute myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1987 Aug;10(2):231-42. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(87)80001-3.
• Background Peters RW, Byington R, Arensberg D, Friedman LM, Romhilt DW, Barker A, Laubach C, Wilner GW, Goldstein S. Mortality in the beta blocker heart attack trial: circumstances surrounding death. J Chronic Dis. 1987;40(1):75-82. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(87)90098-1.
• Background Davis BR, Furberg CD, Williams CB. Survival analysis of adverse effects data in the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1987 Jun;41(6):611-5. doi: 10.1038/clpt.1987.83.
• Background Davis BR, Friedman LM, Lichstein E. Are 24 hours of ambulatory ECG monitoring necessary for a patient after infarction? Am Heart J. 1988 Jan;115(1 Pt 1):83-91. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(88)90521-2.
• Background Peters RW, Muller JE, Goldstein S, Byington R, Friedman LM. Propranolol and the morning increase in the frequency of sudden cardiac death (BHAT Study). Am J Cardiol. 1989 Jun 15;63(20):1518-20. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(89)90019-2. No abstract available.
• Background Peters RW, Byington RP, Barker A, Yusuf S. Prognostic value of prolonged ventricular repolarization following myocardial infarction: the BHAT experience. The BHAT Study Group. J Clin Epidemiol. 1990;43(2):167-72. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(90)90180-w.
• Background Byington RP, Worthy J, Craven T, Furberg CD. Propranolol-induced lipid changes and their prognostic significance after a myocardial infarction: the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial experience. Am J Cardiol. 1990 Jun 1;65(20):1287-91. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(90)91314-v.
• Background Gheorghiade M, Schultz L, Tilley B, Kao W, Goldstein S. Effects of propranolol in non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction in the beta blocker heart attack trial. Am J Cardiol. 1990 Jul 15;66(2):129-33. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(90)90575-l.
• Background Peters RW. Propranolol and the morning increase in sudden cardiac death: (the beta-blocker heart attack trial experience). Am J Cardiol. 1990 Nov 6;66(16):57G-59G. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(90)90398-k.
• Background Gheorghiade M, Schultz L, Tilley B, Kao W, Goldstein S. Natural history of the first non-Q wave myocardial infarction in the placebo arm of the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Am Heart J. 1991 Dec;122(6):1548-53. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(91)90270-r.
• Background Gheorghiade M, Shivkumar K, Schultz L, Jafri S, Tilley B, Goldstein S. Prognostic significance of electrocardiographic persistent ST depression in patients with their first myocardial infarction in the placebo arm of the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Am Heart J. 1993 Aug;126(2):271-8. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(93)91039-h.
• Background Friedman LM, Byington RP. Assessment of angina pectoris after myocardial infarction: comparison of "Rose Questionnaire" with physician judgment in the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Am J Epidemiol. 1985 Apr;121(4):555-62. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114033.
• Background Furberg C. The beta-blocker heart attack trial. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1982;14 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):3S-5S. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1982.tb02053.x. No abstract available.
• Background Hawkins CM, Richardson DW, Vokonas PS. Effect of propranolol in reducing mortality in older myocardial infarction patients. The Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial experience. Circulation. 1983 Jun;67(6 Pt 2):I94-7.
• Background Friedman LM, Byington RP, Capone RJ, Furberg CD, Goldstein S, Lichstein E. Effect of propranolol in patients with myocardial infarction and ventricular arrhythmia. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986 Jan;7(1):1-8. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(86)80250-9.

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