title: [Calcium antagonists and treatment of chronic heart failure].
abstract: The history of the treatment of heart failure may be divided into three stages, the consequences of different conceptions of the physiopathology of the disease, with diuretics to counteract salt and water retention, vasodilators to improve conditions of cardiac load, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors to limit the effect of neurotumoral and sympathetic activation. There are two main reasons for using calcium antagonist in heart failure, the first being arterial vasodilatation leading to improve systolic function and the second being the beneficial effect on ventricular relaxation. However, their use has been controversial because of the results obtained with the first generation of these drugs. New molecules derived from dihydropyridine have been developed. Clinical trials with these second generation calcium antagonists are analysed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015736:Felodipine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D013599:Systole / Q000187:drug effects; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004095:Dihydropyridines; D015736:Felodipine
vernacular_title: Inhibiteurs calciques et traitement de l'insuffisance cardiaque chronique.