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Pharmacologic therapy for New York Heart Association class IV heart failure

Marco A Caccamo1, Peter M Eckman

  • 1Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cardiology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

Congestive Heart Failure (Greenwich, Conn.)
|September 13, 2011
PubMed

Insights

This review examines evidence for heart failure medications in advanced (New York Heart Association class IV) patients. Effective treatments include beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors/ARBs, and other drug classes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Heart failure incidence is rising, increasing the prevalence of advanced cases.
  • Significant advancements have been made in heart failure pharmacotherapy over recent decades.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence base for medications used in treating New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV heart failure.
  • To consolidate current understanding of effective treatments for advanced heart failure.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical trials and studies on heart failure medications.
  • Analysis of evidence for drug efficacy in NYHA class IV patients.

Main Results:

  • Multiple medication classes demonstrate efficacy in advanced heart failure.
  • Established treatments include beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors/ARBs, aldosterone antagonists, vasodilators, digoxin, and inotropes.

Conclusions:

  • A range of pharmacologic options are available for managing NYHA class IV heart failure.
  • Evidence supports the use of specific drug classes to improve outcomes in advanced heart failure patients.

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