Impact of early β-blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundSepsis after cardiac surgery represents a severe perioperative complication with high incidence and mortality rates. While the cardioprotective benefits of β-blocker following cardiac surgery are widely recognized, their impact on sepsis development remains unclear. This study aims to inve...

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Main Authors: Chen Yin, Chengjian Guan, Qianli Ma, Shaotong Zhang, Qian Chen, Bing Xiao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1615868/full
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author Chen Yin
Chengjian Guan
Qianli Ma
Shaotong Zhang
Qian Chen
Bing Xiao
author_facet Chen Yin
Chengjian Guan
Qianli Ma
Shaotong Zhang
Qian Chen
Bing Xiao
author_sort Chen Yin
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundSepsis after cardiac surgery represents a severe perioperative complication with high incidence and mortality rates. While the cardioprotective benefits of β-blocker following cardiac surgery are widely recognized, their impact on sepsis development remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between early postoperative β-blocker use and the incidence of sepsis, as well as clinical outcomes, in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.MethodsThe analysis incorporated data from the MIMIC-IV database, with confounding factors addressed through propensity score matching (PSM), inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), and overlap weighting (OW). Logistic regression models assessed the risk of sepsis and in-hospital mortality, while Cox proportional hazards models evaluated 28-day and 1-year mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests compared survival between groups. Sensitivity analyses using Fine-Gray competing risk models and cumulative incidence functions were performed. Subgroup analyses explored heterogeneity of treatment effects, and metoprolol was further stratified by dose to assess dose-response relationships.ResultsA total of 3,154 patients treated with β-blocker and 5,220 controls were included. Early β-blocker use was associated with a reduced risk of sepsis and lower in-hospital mortality across all methods. For 28-day and 1-year mortality, β-blocker use showed a trend toward risk reduction. Competing risk analyses demonstrated lower cumulative incidence of sepsis in the β-blocker group. Subgroup and dose-response analyses indicated that both low and high doses of metoprolol were associated with reduced postoperative sepsis risk and mortality outcomes.ConclusionEarly use of β-blocker after cardiac surgery was associated with a lower incidence of sepsis, with potential benefits observed in both short-term and long-term prognosis. These findings provide valuable evidence for optimizing perioperative drug management strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-1eca2b8db1f5454485affe07185da0142025-08-20T03:34:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-07-011610.3389/fphar.2025.16158681615868Impact of early β-blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort studyChen Yin0Chengjian Guan1Qianli Ma2Shaotong Zhang3Qian Chen4Bing Xiao5Department of Cardiac Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, ChinaDepartment of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, ChinaDepartment of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, ChinaDepartment of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, ChinaDepartment of Physiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, ChinaDepartment of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, ChinaBackgroundSepsis after cardiac surgery represents a severe perioperative complication with high incidence and mortality rates. While the cardioprotective benefits of β-blocker following cardiac surgery are widely recognized, their impact on sepsis development remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between early postoperative β-blocker use and the incidence of sepsis, as well as clinical outcomes, in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.MethodsThe analysis incorporated data from the MIMIC-IV database, with confounding factors addressed through propensity score matching (PSM), inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), and overlap weighting (OW). Logistic regression models assessed the risk of sepsis and in-hospital mortality, while Cox proportional hazards models evaluated 28-day and 1-year mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests compared survival between groups. Sensitivity analyses using Fine-Gray competing risk models and cumulative incidence functions were performed. Subgroup analyses explored heterogeneity of treatment effects, and metoprolol was further stratified by dose to assess dose-response relationships.ResultsA total of 3,154 patients treated with β-blocker and 5,220 controls were included. Early β-blocker use was associated with a reduced risk of sepsis and lower in-hospital mortality across all methods. For 28-day and 1-year mortality, β-blocker use showed a trend toward risk reduction. Competing risk analyses demonstrated lower cumulative incidence of sepsis in the β-blocker group. Subgroup and dose-response analyses indicated that both low and high doses of metoprolol were associated with reduced postoperative sepsis risk and mortality outcomes.ConclusionEarly use of β-blocker after cardiac surgery was associated with a lower incidence of sepsis, with potential benefits observed in both short-term and long-term prognosis. These findings provide valuable evidence for optimizing perioperative drug management strategies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1615868/fullsepsiscardiac surgeryperioperative managementMIMIC-IV databasepostoperative outcomes
spellingShingle Chen Yin
Chengjian Guan
Qianli Ma
Shaotong Zhang
Qian Chen
Bing Xiao
Impact of early β-blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study
Frontiers in Pharmacology
sepsis
cardiac surgery
perioperative management
MIMIC-IV database
postoperative outcomes
title Impact of early β-blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study
title_full Impact of early β-blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study
title_fullStr Impact of early β-blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Impact of early β-blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study
title_short Impact of early β-blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study
title_sort impact of early β blocker use on the incidence of sepsis and clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery a retrospective cohort study
topic sepsis
cardiac surgery
perioperative management
MIMIC-IV database
postoperative outcomes
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1615868/full
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