HEART FAILURE MEDICATIONS |
DISCLAIMER: THIS PAGE CONTAINS A GENERAL EDUCATIONAL DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE TOPIC. IT IS NOT HEALTH ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS SUCH. YOU SHOULD NEVER RELY UPON THE INFORMATION GIVEN HERE. YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES MAY WELL REQUIRE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT APPROACH. YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES IN YOUR MEDICATIONS, DIET, ACTIVITY, LIFESTYLE, ETC. WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING A LICENSED PHYSICIAN IN YOUR AREA.
Heart failure caused by weak heart muscle is generally treated with:
Diuretics are used to remove the excess fluid that builds up in the body in patients with heart failure. This is very important to minimize the shortness of breath and swelling that so many heart failure patients experience. Heart failure patients must also monitor and restrict their intake of salt (sodium) and fluids. Retention of fluid can be detected early by noting a change in weight. Heart failure patients are often advised to weight themselves in the morning 3 times a week after they go to the bathroom after waking but before they eat anything. If their weight suddenly rises, that means they may be retaining fluid and they should contact their doctor. Catching this early can avoid hospitalization.
ACE Inhibitors dilate blood vessels and make it easier for the heart to pump blood. They improve symptoms and exercise tolerance and can prolong survival. If ACE inhibitors cannot be tolerated, angiotensin blockers or the combination of nitrates and hydralazine can be substituted. ACE inhibitors and angiotensin blockers exert their beneficial effect by blocking the effetct of a hormone, angiotensin, that is deleterious to the failing heart.
Heart failure patients often have very high levels of adrenaline in their blood stream which is deleterious to the heart muscle. Beta blockers block this adrenaline effect, resulting in improved symptoms and improved strength of the heart muscle. Metoprolol was the first beta blocker studied for this indication. Carvedilol is a beta blocker with other properties as well that was specifically developed for patients with heart failure. Bisoprolol has been proven efficacious in this regard.
Spironolactone and Eplerenone are diuretics that have been shown to improve symptoms and survival in patients with severe heart failure due to weakened heart muscle independent of and in addition to its fluid removing effects. It does this by inhibiting the effect of a hormone called aldosterone that is deleterious to the failing heart.
Digoxin strengthens the heart muscle to improve the symptoms of heart failure.
It is also important to control other factors that may exacerbate heart failure including high blood pressure, angina and abnormal heart rhythms.
A special type of pacemaker that stimulates both the left and right ventricles of the heart simultaneously ( a biventricular pacemaker) can reduces symptoms and the need to be rehospitalized in heart failure patients with weak heart muscle who demonstrate slow electrical conduction through the ventricles on their ECG. This is known as cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Other options for heart failure patients include enhanced external counterpulsation, mechanical assist devices and cardiac transplantation.
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