Outpatient management of heart failure.
The outpatient treatment of heart failure can be divided into 2 broad categories: older therapies, which improve hemodynamics, and newer therapies, which increase survival and improve function. Hemodynamic "triple" therapy includes digoxin to increase cardiac inotropy, antihypertensives to lower systolic pressure, and diuretics to remove fluid and decrease filling pressures. Disease-modifying therapy requires the use of specific agents to lower blood pressure (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II blockers, spironolactone, or hydralazine and nitrates) and beta-adrenergic blockade with carvedilol. The success of these newer therapies suggests that the standard triple therapy for heart failure should be expanded to "quadruple" therapy that includes carvedilol.
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Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1111 West 10 Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D004232:Diuretics