Via practica 1/2009

Pharmacological therapy of the heart failure

Heart failure is a serious disease with high mortality. The goal of the pharmacological therapy is to improve the prognosis of patient and to improve the quality of his life.ACE inhibitors (or sartans, if ACEI are not tolerated) and beta-blockers represent the cornerstone of the heart failure management. Both groups of drugs are able to decrease the mortality and are indicated as a first line therapy. More advanced forms of heart failure require an addition of aldosterone antagonists (spironolactone, eplerenone) to the treatment, which are also able to decrease the mortality. Besides drugs improving the prognosis of the patient, also symptomatic therapy is available. Diuretics and digoxin represent symptomatic therapy. Digoxine is neutral in regard to mortality. Mortality data about diuretic therapy are not available.

Keywords: heart failure, therapy, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, sartans