Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Center, Division of Cardiology, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York, USA. The CAPRICORN (Carvedilol Post-Infarct Survival Control in Left Ventricular Dysfunction) trial established that the beta-blocker carvedilol reduces the risk of death in patients with left ventricular dysfunction post myocardial infarction, whether or not the infarct is complicated by clinical heart failure. Thus, the utility of the beta-blocker carvedilol is confirmed in the modern era as an adjunct to revascularization, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, aspirin, and statins. In addition, the results prompt us to review the prior studies of beta-blockers postinfarction. Critical review of CAPRICORN and earlier beta-blocker studies suggests that specific beta-blockers should be matched to specific clinical scenarios. The COMET (Carvedilol or Metoprolol European Trial) study reinforces this view by establishing that beta-blockers are not simply interchangeable agents