Beta-blockers reduce severe exacerbation in patients with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with atrial fibrillation: a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Beta-blockers (BBs) decrease mortality and acute exacerbation (AE) rates in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular disease; however, information on their effects in patients with COPD and atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited. We aimed to assess the AE risk in patients with different severities of COPD and AF receiving BBs compared with that in patients receiving calcium channel blockers (CCBs). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database from 2009 to 2018. Outcomes included AE-related emergency room visits and hospitalisation. HRs and 95% CIs were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. COPD severity was classified as mild or severe based on exacerbation history. Sensitivity analyses included treatment and subgroup analyses, and competing risk adjustment. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 4486 pairs of BB and CCB users from 13 462 eligible patients were included. The exacerbation risk for BB users was lower (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.72 to 0.89) than that of CCB users. After stratification, BB benefits persisted in the mild COPD group (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.85), unlike the severe COPD group (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.75 to 1.20). The results of the subgroup analysis showed consistent protective effects even in patients without heart failure or myocardial infarction (adjusted HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.94). CONCLUSION: We found that BB use in patients with mild COPD and AF was associated with a lower exacerbation risk than CCB use, and that close monitoring of BB use in patients with severe COPD and AF is warranted.