Survey of the use of organic nitrates for the treatment of chronic congestive heart failure in the United States.
A survey of members of the Heart Failure Society of America revealed that despite their lack of approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration, nitrates are widely used in patients with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF). Most members reported using nitrates in patients with ischemic (90%) and nonischemic (81%) causes of chronic CHF, especially those with symptomatic CHF (43% reported using nitrates in >50% of their patients with ischemic and 25% with nonischemic causes). Ninety-six percent reported using nitrates to reduce symptoms, 74% for hemodynamic improvement, 65% for better exercise tolerance, and only 14% for left ventricular reversed remodeling. Nitrates were always combined with hydralazine in 25% of patients and occasionally combined with hydralazine in 67%.
Bitar
Fahed
F
Heart Failure Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA.
Akhter
Mohammed W
MW
Khan
Salman
S
Singh
Harpreet
H
Elkayam
Uri
U
D002908:Chronic Disease; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D009566:Nitrates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States
D009566:Nitrates