Open AccessBeta‐Blocker Therapy and Severe Heart Failure: Myth or Reality?
Author(s) -
Kalapura Thomachan,
Ventura Hector O.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
congestive heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1751-7133
pISSN - 1527-5299
DOI - 10.1111/j.1527-5299.2003.01467.x
Subject(s) - heart failure , medicine , intensive care medicine , medical therapy , clinical trial , beta blocker , cardiology
The medical management of heart failure has undergone remarkable progress in the past 10 years. The paradigm shift is toward long‐term reparative strategies that help in altering the biologic properties of the failing heart. Together with angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, β blockers have emerged as standard therapy for heart failure, especially for patients with mild to moderate heart failure. Since most of the clinical trials demonstrating the benefits of β blockers have been done in patients with mild to moderate heart failure, some controversy exists about the utility of β‐blocking agents in patients with advanced heart failure. This review will summarize the rationale and the use of β blockers, a very challenging therapeutic strategy, in patients with severe heart failure.