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Published on: February 13, 2021

Heart failure management in African Americans: meeting the challenge

Jean-Bernard Durand1

  • 1M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard No. 449, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA. jdurand@mdanderson.org

Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.)
|April 10, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Heart failure prognosis and treatment may differ in African Americans. Optimal therapy may involve combined beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, with carvedilol showing particular promise.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Research
  • Health Disparities

Background:

  • Heart failure (HF) affects 3% of African Americans, with distinct etiology and prognosis compared to other populations.
  • Hypertension is a more frequent precursor to HF in African Americans, often leading to more severe target organ damage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate potential differences in optimal heart failure treatment for African Americans.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of specific drug combinations in this patient group.

Main Methods:

  • Review of large-scale clinical endpoint studies.
  • Comparative analysis of treatment outcomes based on race and comorbidities.

Main Results:

  • Optimal heart failure treatment in African Americans may differ from non-African Americans.
  • Combined use of beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors appears effective in African Americans.
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors alone may be insufficient therapy for this population.

Conclusions:

  • Carvedilol, a beta blocker, may be particularly effective for heart failure treatment in African Americans.
  • Tailoring heart failure therapy based on race and comorbidities is crucial for improved outcomes.

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