ABSTRACT
More than 400,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year, making it one of the largest problems in health care today, particularly among the elderly. Primary care providers must be aware of the benefits of early recognition and treatment of heart failure and asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Standard therapy has included ACE inhibitors, digoxin, and diuretics for volume overload. More recently, large clinical trials have prompted the recommendation to add beta-blockers to this regimen. This article reviews heart failure pathophysiology, management, and the consensus recommendations for adding beta-blockers to heart failure therapy.
Subject(s)
Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/therapeutic use , Heart Failure/drug therapy , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Clinical Trials as Topic , Heart Failure/nursing , Heart Failure/physiopathology , Humans , Practice Guidelines as TopicABSTRACT
Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors can improve vessel patency for patients with myocardial infarction and angina. Patients who receive these drugs can be managed more conservatively, without invasive procedures, and may have less risk of recurrent infarction and death.
