Effects of metoprolol vs verapamil in patients with stable angina pectoris The Angina Prognosis Study in Stockholm (APSIS)

Objective To study long-term treatment effects of meto-prolol or verapamil on combined cardiovascular end points and psychological variables in patients with stable angina pectoris. Design Randomized, double-blind, double-dummy trial. Patients The study included 809 patients under 70 years of age with stable angina pectoris. The mean age of the patients was 59 ± 7 years and 31 % were women. Exclusion criteria were myocardial infarction within the previous 3 years and contraindications to beta-blockers and calcium antagonists. The patients were followed between 6 and 75 months (median 3-4 years and a total of 2887 patient years). Intervention The patients were treated with either meto-prolol (Seloken ZOC 200 mg o.d.) or verapamil (Isoptin Retard 240 b.i.d.). Acetylsalicylic acid, ACE inhibitors