Restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention (PCI) remains a serious complication in the treatment of coronary artery disease. Although β-adrenergic receptor blockers (BBs) effectively reduce many cardiac events, no large prospective studies have examined the association of BBs with restenosis.

We prospectively evaluated the association of BBs (prescribed at hospital discharge) with clinical restenosis in 4840 patients who underwent stent placement (60%), balloon angioplasty (32%), or rotational atherectomy (8%). Clinical restenosis was defined as repeat target lesion revascularization or coronary artery bypass grafting within 6 months of PCI. Other end points included 9-month clinical restenosis, repeat target lesion PCI (only), long-term (5-year) target lesion repeat-PCI, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Multivariable regression adjusted the effect of BBs on clinical restenosis for 15 covariables.

The average patient age was 63 years, 75% were men, and 37% received a BB prescription. The incidence of clinical restenosis was 12% overall and was lower among those prescribed a BB (10.0% for BB, 13.5% for none, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.76, P = .004). Other predictors of decreased restenosis included stent use, age, and smoking; predictors of increased restenosis included diabetes, atherectomy, and number of treated vessels. BBs also reduced 9-month clinical restenosis (10.3% vs 13.5%, OR 0.75, P = .004), MACE (16.5% vs 20.9%, OR 0.75, P < .001), 6-month target lesion restenosis (7.8% vs 10.2%, OR 0.75, P = .006), and 5-year target lesion restenosis (12.0% vs 14.0%, OR 0.83, P = .046).

β-Adrenergic receptor blockers prescribed after PCI reduced the risk of clinical restenosis, target lesion restenosis, and MACE in this cohort of 4840 patients. The mechanism by which β-blockers conferred a protective effect against restenosis remains to be determined.