O’Neal, Wesley T.Efird, Jimmy T.Davies, Stephen W.O’Neal, Jason B.Griffin, William F.Ferguson, T. BruceChitwood, W. RandolphKypson, Alan P.2014-09-082014O’Neal, Wesley T., Jimmy T. Efird, Stephen W. Davies, Jason B. O’Neal, William F. Griffin, T. Bruce Ferguson, W. Randolph Chitwood, and Alan P. Kypson. 2014. “Discharge β-Blocker Use and Race after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.” Frontiers in Public Health 2 (1): 94. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2014.00094. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00094.2296-2565http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:12785945Introduction: The use of discharge β-blockers after cardiac surgery is associated with a long-term mortality benefit. β-Blockers have been suggested to be less effective in black cardiovascular patients compared with whites. To date, racial differences in the long-term survival of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients who receive β-blockers at discharge have not been examined. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients undergoing CABG between 2002 and 2011. Long-term survival was compared in patients who were and who were not discharged with β-blockers. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using a Cox regression model. P-for-interaction between race and discharge β-blocker use was computed using a likelihood ratio test. Results: A total of 853 (88%) black (n = 970) and 3,038 (88%) white (n = 3,460) patients had a history of β-blocker use at discharge (N = 4,430). Black patients who received β-blockers survived longer than those not receiving β-blockers and the survival advantage was comparable with white patients (black, adjusted HR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.23–0.46; white, adjusted HR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.39–0.58; p-for-interaction = 0.74). Among patients discharged on β-blockers, we did not observe a long-term survival advantage for white compared with black patients (HR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.95–1.5). Conclusion: β-Blocker use at discharge was associated with a survival advantage among black patients after CABG and a similar association was observed in white patients.en-USoutcomesCABGepidemiologyβ-blockerscardiologyJournal Article2014-09-0810.3389/fpubh.2014.00094