Is perioperative beta-blockade effective and safe in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery?

Abstract

Beta-blockade in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery has been widely recommended as a way to reduce cardiovascular adverse events during the perioperative period. However, studies have shown contradictory results. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening multiple databases, we identified 22 systematic reviews comprising 131 studies addressing the question of this article, including 112 randomized trials. We combined the evidence using meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings following the GRADE approach. We concluded perioperative use of beta-blockers in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, although probably decreases the risk of myocardial infarction, increases the risk of stroke and total mortality.