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Current Limitations in Treatment of Heart Failure: New Avenues and Treatment Options
Author(s) -
DREXLER HELMUT,
FUCHS MARTIN
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.193
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1540-8167
pISSN - 1045-3873
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8167.2002.tb01954.x
Subject(s) - heart failure , medicine , spironolactone , endothelins , intensive care medicine , cardiology , endothelin receptor , receptor
Treatment of Heart Failure. Chronic heart failure is one of the main causes of death in western countries. Despite state‐of‐the‐art treatment including angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, beta‐blockers, and spironolactone, survival and relief from symptoms still are unacceptably poor in patients with chronic heart failure. The present article gives an overview of current limitations in the treatment of heart failure and points out possible treatment options in the future. It seems possible to reduce or at least delay progression of heart failure by adding drugs that interfere with novel pathophysiologic aspects in heart failure activation of the neuroendocrine system, including catecholamines, angiotensin II, cytokines, and endothelins, as well as alteration of calcium homeostasis and energy depletion.