Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background:
Beta blockers (BB) and particularly high dose beta blockers might be beneficial for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), however their use is often limited by commonly coexisting sinus node dysfunction. It is unclear whether the presence of permanent pacemakers (PPM) allows for adequate therapy with BB which in turn confers a mortality benefit.

Objective:
We sought to evaluate differences in BB treatment between HFpEF patents with and without PPM and evaluate their effect on outpatient mortality.

Methods:
We identified patients admitted to 1 of 13 Northwell hospitals receiving intravenous diuretics in response to elevated BNP and included in our analysis only those with left ventricular ejection fraction >45%. Status on BB therapy and presence of PPM was assessed at discharge. The vital status of our cohort was identified for the length of the observation period.

Results:
Of 17,682 patients (42.8% female, 73.5 ± 15.7 years) admitted for HFpEF, 7,910 (44.7%) were discharged on BB, while PPM was present in 397 (2.3%). Treatment with BB was more common among patients with PPM (51.4% vs 48.6%, p=X). There were 1,316 deaths during a follow-up period of 2.4 ± 0.9 years post index admission. Mortality was highest among patients discharged on a BB without PPM and lowest among patients on both BB and PPM (log rank p=0.003)
Conclusion:
Additional studies are required to assess the complimentary role of pacing and BB therapy in patients with HFpEF.