Effect of beta-adrenergic blockade on the growth rate of abdominal aortic aneurysms

S. D. Leach, A. L. Toole, H. Stern, R. W. DeNatale and M. D. Tilson
Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.

We retrospectively identified 136 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) who were initially evaluated as outpatients. Twenty-seven of these patients met the following criteria for eligibility in the study: (1) roentgenographic documentation of an AAA larger than 3 cm, (2) at least two serial ultrasound size determinations over a minimum six-month interval, and (3) a documented medication history. Of these 27 patients, 12 received long-term beta-blockade, while 15 received no beta-blockade. The two groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, initial aneurysm size, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and duration of follow-up (mean, 34 months). Among patients with beta-blockade, the mean growth rate was 0.17 cm/y. The rate for the controls was 0.44 cm/y. One patient of 12 (8%) in the beta-blocker group had a rate that exceeded the mean for the overall group compared with eight patients of 15 (53%) in the group with no beta-blockade. This difference was statistically significant. Thus, beta-blockade may be associated with a decreased AAA growth rate in this small, retrospective study.