BACKGROUND: @entity943 are nearly universally present in @entity1 with advanced @entity712 ( @entity712 ) and represent an important cause of mortality in these @entity1 . One of the putative mechanisms for the salutary effects of beta-blockers on @entity944 mortality in @entity712 is their ability to suppress @entity943 . However, supporting data in @entity1 with @entity712 are sparse, especially in the setting of excessive neurohumoral activation associated with symptomatic decompensated @entity712 . METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 236 @entity1 (159 @entity1 ; mean age, 61 +/- 14 years) admitted for decompensated @entity712 . Fifty @entity1 were receiving beta-blockers at the time of the study. The severity of @entity943 was assessed by 24-hour Holter recordings by using several prospectively defined measures of @entity1540 . All measures of @entity1540 were lower in @entity1 receiving beta-blockers. The average hourly total @entity1540 ( @entity1540 ), hourly ventricular couplets, repetitive @entity1540 , and frequency of @entity1165 were 15% (P =.02), 75% (P <.05), 72% (P <.05), and 87% (P =.01) lower in @entity1 receiving beta-blockers, respectively. In a multivariate regression analysis, the negative relationship between beta-blockers and the average hourly @entity1540 (P =.03), the frequency of ventricular pairs (P =.03), repetitive @entity1540 (P <.05), and @entity1165 (P =.01) remained significant and independent. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant beta-blocker therapy during @entity712 decompensation is associated with a marked @entity1540 and episodes of @entity1165 . This effect of beta-blockers may play an important protective role by preventing serious @entity943 during transient increases in sympathetic activity.

Concomitant beta-blocker therapy is associated with a lower occurrence of @entity943 in XXXX with decompensated @entity712 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient', 'men'] @entity712 :: ('MESH:D006333', 'Disease') :: ['congestive heart failure', 'heart failure', 'CHF'] @entity1165 :: ('MESH:D017180', 'Disease') :: ['ventricular tachycardia', 'ventricular tachycardia episodes'] @entity944 :: ('MESH:D003645', 'Disease') :: ['sudden death'] @entity1540 :: ('MESH:D018879', 'Disease') :: ['ventricular ectopy', 'reduction in complex ventricular ectopy', 'premature ventricular beats', 'PVCs'] @entity943 :: ('MESH:D001145', 'Disease') :: ['ventricular arrhythmia', 'ventricular arrhythmias', 'Ventricular arrhythmias']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['patients']
