β-Blockers have a well-documented history of reducing mortality risk following myocardial infarction (MI). However, many of the clinical trials that demonstrated the beneficial effects of β-blockers in the MI setting were conducted 20 to 30 years ago, before the era of thrombolysis, primary angioplasty and modern medical therapy. Moreover, early trials of β-blockers in patients with MI generally excluded patients with heart failure, and virtually no data exist on patients with MI who also have left ventricular dysfunction. The CAPRICORN*study has addressed the limitations of earlier trials and demonstrated a dramatic mortality reduction in patients with left ventricular dysfunction following MI. Additionally, a new analysis of the COPERNICUS*study has extended previously reported benefits of carvedilol in the treatment of severe heart failure. The data were presented at the 50th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) [Orlando, US; March 2001].