the early trials of -
blockers in CHF were much smaller, often nonrandomised,
designed to evaluate surrogate (rather
than clinical) end-points and showed inconsistent
effects. Larger trials were not conducted until recently,
focussing on work which more clearly unravelled
the pathophysiological mechanisms of
chronic adrenergic stimulation and the effects of
-blockade.[14-15] The recent development of newer
-blockers with special properties have also stimulated
this interest