Metoprolol or Verapamil in the Management of Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic heart disease and is a prevalent cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD). This study aims to establish the benefits and therapeutic value metoprolol or verapamil offer to patients who suffer from symptoms caused by HCM, with regard to resolving left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), as well as improving a patient's quality of life and reducing symptoms. We conducted a systematic review to find clinical studies that described the use of metoprolol or verapamil in the management of HCM. Three databases were analyzed for studies, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. We discovered 6,260 potentially eligible records across all the databases. According to our eligibility criteria, we included four studies in this review. Metoprolol showed median left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradients of 25 mm Hg versus 72 mm Hg (P = 0.007) at rest, 28 mm Hg versus 62 mm Hg (P < 0.001) at peak exercise, and 45 mm Hg versus 115 mm Hg (P < 0.001) post-exercise. Verapamil also showed a statistically significant increase in exercise capacity. Both drugs have been shown to be safe to use with a good side effect profile; however, metoprolol was better tolerated in the patient population that was tested in the studies collected. In this study, metoprolol was effective in reducing LVOT and improving the quality of life in patients, while verapamil showed variable effects on both exercise capacity and baseline hemodynamics.