New directions in heart failure management.
Approximately 4.8 million Americans are afflicted with heart failure; this accounts for 800,000 to 900,000 hospital admissions annually. Astute management in the primary care setting is essential for decreasing mortality and minimizing the risk for hospitalization. Although heart failure was initially viewed as a hemodynamic disorder, current evidence overwhelmingly supports that neurohormones, such as angiotensin II and aldosterone, contribute significantly to disease progression. The benefits of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and other drugs that block these substances are well established. This article discusses current management options that retard left ventricular remodeling to improve systolic function over time.
Connolly
K
K
Denver Health Medical Center, Colo., USA.
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors