Heart Failure

You probably will need to take several medicines to treat heart failure, even if you don't have symptoms yet. Medicines don't cure heart failure. But they can help your heart work better and improve any symptoms that you do have.

Medicines can:

• Relieve or control symptoms.
• Treat other health problems you have, such as coronary artery disease.
• Improve your daily quality of life.
• Slow the rate at which your heart failure gets worse.
• Reduce the chance of other problems from heart failure, such as stroke.
• Reduce hospital stays.
• Help you live as long as possible.

It's very important to take your medicines exactly as your doctor says. If you don't, your heart failure may get worse or you may get sudden heart failure. For more information, see:

Heart failure: Taking your medicines properly.

Medicine Choices

The medicines you take will depend on the type of heart failure you have. Some of the medicines treat the heart's pumping problems (systolic heart failure), while others treat problems with filling (diastolic heart failure). The most commonly used medicines are listed below.

Medicines for pumping problems (systolic heart failure)

These include:

• ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) to relax and widen blood vessels. This makes it easier for blood to flow.
• ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers) to make it easier for blood to flow through the vessels.
• Diuretics to make the kidneys remove more water and salt (sodium) from the body.
• Aldosterone receptor antagonists to make the kidneys get rid of extra salt and fluid and to help the body hold on to potassium.
• Digoxin to help the heart pump more blood with each beat.
• Beta-blockers to control symptoms of heart failure by slowing the heart rate and making the blood vessels wider so blood flows more easily.
• Vasodilators to lower blood pressure and reduce the workload on the heart.

Medicines for filling problems (diastolic heart failure)

These include:

• Beta-blockers.
• Diuretics.
• ACE inhibitors.
• ARBs.
• Calcium channel blockers to slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
• Direct renin inhibitors to help blood flow more easily through your vessels and to lower your blood pressure.

Other medicines

You also may take other medicines for health problems that can cause heart failure or for problems caused by heart failure. These problems include irregular heart rhythms, poor blood flow to the heart, and high blood pressure.

The medicines include:

• Anticoagulants, such as warfarin, to make your blood less likely to clot. These drugs may help prevent strokes.
• Antiarrhythmics to prevent very fast and sometimes irregular heart rhythms.
• Antihypertensives to lower blood pressure.

What to Think About

Talk to your doctor before you take any over-the-counter medicines. Some of them might make your symptoms worse. For more information, see:

Heart failure: Avoiding medicines that make symptoms worse.

© 1995-2010, Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.