Beta blocker prescribing differences in patients with and without diabetesfollowing a first myocardial infarction

Aims To document the prescribed usage of beta blockers in patients with and without diabetes mellitus discharged from hospital following a first myoca rdial infarction. Methods All patients with diabetes and a group of patients matched for age and sex without diabetes, admitted with a documented first myocardial infar ction during the period 1995-1999 at the Royal Liverpool University Hospita l, Liverpool, UK were audited. Results Data were available on 201 patients with diabetes and 199 patients without diabetes. No significant differences existed between the diabetic a nd non-diabetic groups for age and sex. Twenty-three per cent of patients w ith diabetes were prescribed a beta blocker compared to 52% of non-diabetic patients (P < 0.01). Patients with diabetes had a higher frequency of perc eived contraindications than patients without diabetes (36 vs. 27%, P<0.001 ). Thirty-five per cent of patients with diabetes and 18% of non-diabetic p atients had no contraindication to the use of beta blocker but were not pre scribed one (P <0.001). Conclusions Although beta blockers can provide useful benefits in patients with diabetes following a myocardial infarction, this study suggests that a significant proportion of patients with diabetes and without a contraindic ation to treatment are still not receiving beta blockers after myocardial i nfarction.