title: Amiodarone therapy in chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction: a review of the mortality trials with special attention to STAT-CHF and the GESICA trials. Grupo de Estudio de la Sobrevida en la Insuficiencia Cardiaca en Argentina.
abstract: Amiodarone appears to reduce sudden death in patients with left ventricular dysfunction resulting from an acute MI or a primary dilated cardiomyopathy, particularly if complex ventricular arrhythmias are present. Amiodarone's beneficial effect on mortality in these patients could be unrelated to its antiarrhythmic effects. Multiple factors could account for the improvement in mortality such as the drug's antiischemic effects, neuromodulating effects, its effect on left ventricular function and on heart rate. Moreover, patients with LV dysfunction who have survived an episode of sudden death would potentially benefit from amiodarone therapy. Future trials are needed to determine the precise subsets(s) of patients who would benefit from the drug and the most efficacious dosing regimen for the drug. Based on available data, amiodarone is the only antiarrhythmic agent which has not been shown to increase mortality in patients with chronic heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, North-western University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neelagaru
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kown
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gheorghiade
mesh_terms: D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012449:Safety; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000638:Amiodarone