Role of carvedilol controlled-release in cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Carvedilol is a β₁- and β₂-adrenergic receptor antagonist with additional vasodilatory α₁-blocking properties. Carvedilol was shown to be more efficacious than a traditional β-blocker for treating heart failure and improving myocardial function. Carvedilol is the only agent in its class to have been demonstrated to significantly reduce mortality and morbidity in post-myocardial-infarction patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Moreover, carvedilol does not exhibit the carbohydrate and lipid disturbances observed with other β-blockers. Originally available as a twice-daily formulation, a controlled-release, once-daily formulation of carvedilol is now available, which has equivalent efficacy and safety, as demonstrated by numerous studies. The convenience of once-daily dosing is expected to contribute to patient adherence, thereby potentially improving long-term clinical outcomes.

Keywords::

• carvedilol
• controlled-release
• heart failure
• hypertension
• left ventricular dysfunction
• postmyocardial infarction

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has acted as a researcher and consultant, and has received honorarium from GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Pfizer and Medtronic. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript. The author would like to thank John O’Flaherty, PhD, ProEd Communications, Inc.^®, for his medical editorial assistance with this manuscript. John O’Flaherty’s work was supported by GlaxoSmithKline, PA, USA.