Background: Cachexia is an independent risk factor for mortality in chronic heart failure (CHF). Beta blockers can reduce body energy expenditure and improve efficiency of substrate utilization.
Aim: To assess the changes in body composition in non-cachectic patients with CHF treated with beta blockers.
Methods: We prospectively followed 41 non-cachectic ambulatory CHF patients (mean age 67 +/- 10 years, ejection fraction 37 +/- 4%) treated with beta blockers for at least 6 months. Body composition was measured by bioimpedance.
Results: At baseline 16/41 patients were treated with beta blockers while at the end of follow-up all patients received beta blockers (31/41 at full recommended dose). During follow up of 263 +/- 106 days body weight (83.1 +/- 16.7 vs. 83.0 +/- 16.9 kg), body mass index (29.3 +/- 5.5 vs. 29.3 +/- 5.6) and total body water did not change (51.2 +/- 6.4% vs. 51.0 +/- 6.4%), while total body fat mass (27.4 +/- 9.6 to 28.3 +/- 10.2 kg, median change +0.89 kg, p = 0.01) and percent of total body fat increased (32.3 +/- 7.4% to 33.4 +/- 7.5%, median change +0.7%, p < 0.001). New York Heart Association class and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire improved from 2.9 +/- 0.4 and 48 +/- 15 to 2.3 +/- 0.6 and 32 +/- 16, respectively (p < 0.001 for both).
Conclusion: In patients with CHF, treatment with beta blockers can increase total body fat mass and total body fat content.