Objective: To explore the efficacy and possibility of the treatment with metoprolol for congestive heart failure(CHF).Methods: We evaluated,using a randomized and controlled method ,the effects of metoprolol on circular endocrine factors and cardiac function in patients with CHF due to dilated cardiomyopathy who continued to have symptoms despite conventional therapy with digoxin,diuretics,and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI).Results: ① The cardiothoracic ratio and cardiac area of X-rays film in metoprolol group were significantly minimized at 3 month therapy in comparison with that in control group (respectively, P <0.01).② The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)in metoprolol group was higher than that in control group at 3 month therapy (37.35±6.28 vs 33.25±6.46, P <0.01) ③ There was a negative linear correlation in all patients between the levels of plasma norepinephrine (NF) or endothelin (ET)and LVEF (respectively, P <0.001).The age was younger,the heart rate was faster and the levels of plasma NE,ET were higher in the patients with the obvious effective group than those in the other groups.Conclusion: It is effective to treat with metoprolol for CHF in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy,especially in whose the age is younger,the heart rate is faster,and the levels of plasma NE and ET are higher. K