[Drug-induced heart failure]

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome caused mainly by cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension and valvular disease, but several categories of drugs may potentially induce heart failure in patients without previous heart disease or precipitate revealing of heart failure symptoms in patients with preexisting left ventricle impairment. Pathophysiologically drugs that increase preload, afterload or have negative inotropic properties may be able to cause this adverse reaction. In the article the potential role in the occurrence of heart failure of cytostatics, immunomodulating drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, calcium channel blockers, beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, antiarrhythmics, anesthetics and antidepressants is reviewed.