title: [The novelty in the treatment of heart failure].
abstract: Heart failure is a very common clinical pathology. The treatment of heart failure is expensive; therefore, it is a large burden on the health care system in the world. Despite many recent advances in heart failure therapy, the prognosis remains poor. Levosimendan is a novel inotropic vasodilator agent. This drug induces enhanced contractility mainly via its calcium sensitizing actions. Levosimendan does not increase myocardial oxygen demand and also reduces significantly systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary artery pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance. It causes venous, arterial, and coronary vasodilation. The drug is not proarrhythmic, has anti-ischemic and anti-stunning effects. It is well-tolerated drug for the treatment of cardiac failure. This review article discusses mechanism of action of levosimendan, its pharmacokinetics and metabolism, hemodynamic studies with this drug, effects on morbidity and mortality, therapeutic indication for its use, contraindications, special warnings and precautions for use, interactions with others medical products, undesirable effects of levosimendan.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Intensive Care Medicine, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Dagmara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reingardiene
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006835:Hydrazones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077464:Simendan; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006835:Hydrazones; D011724:Pyridazines; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000077464:Simendan; D004280:Dobutamine