title: Aldosterone antagonists in heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic, systolic heart failure is an increasing and costly health problem, and treatments based on pathophysiology have evolved that include the use of aldosterone antagonists.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Advances in the understanding of neurohormonal responses to heart failure have led to better pharmacologic treatments. The steroid hormone aldosterone has been associated with detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system, such as ventricular remodeling and endothelial dysfunction. This article will review the literature and guidelines that support the use of aldosterone antagonists in the treatment of chronic, systolic heart failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aldosterone antagonists are life-saving drugs that have been shown to decrease mortality in patients with New York Heart Association class III to IV heart failure and in patients with heart failure after an acute myocardial infarction. Additional studies are being conducted to determine if the role of aldosterone antagonists can be expanded to patients with less severe forms of heart failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aldosterone antagonists are an important pharmacologic therapy in the neurohormonal blockade necessary in the treatment of systolic heart failure. These drugs have been shown to decrease mortality and reduce hospital readmission rates. The major complication of aldosterone antagonists is hyperkalemia, which can be avoided with appropriate patient selection and diligent monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Susan E. Miller, DNP, RN, PCCN Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Acute and Tertiary Care Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. René J. Alvarez Jr, MD, FACC, FAHA Professor of Medicine, Medical Director, Advanced Heart Failure/Cardiac Transplantation, Vice Chief, Section of Cardiology, and Assistant Dean for Minority Faculty Affairs, School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: René J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Alvarez
mesh_terms: D000450:Aldosterone / Q000502:physiology; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D000450:Aldosterone