Effect of ibopamine, a dopamine congener, on arrhythmias in heart failure

Patients with heart failure exhibit a high prevalence of both ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias, and the ventricular arrhythmias are characterized by multiform, bigeminal and paired beats as well as nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. The prognosis of heart failure is severe and approximately half of the patients die suddenly. In view of the high prevalence of arrhythmias in heart failure and the complex ventricular arrhythmias, it is important to consider the effect of antifailure treatment on such arrhythmias. Dopaminergic drugs represent one interesting therapeutic alternative. Ibopamine is an orally active dopaminergic substance and acts mainly as a vasodilator in patients with heart failure. According to published investigations on ibopamine in heart failure, this drug does not seem to have a proarrhythmic effect.