[LEVOSIMENDAN--THE FIRST 10 YEARS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE]

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Cardiology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) and low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) remain critical challenges in cardiovascular medicine.
• Current therapeutic options for HF and LCOS have limitations, necessitating novel pharmacological agents.
• Levosimendan has emerged as a promising inodilator with unique mechanisms of action.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey the primary pharmacological effects of levosimendan.
• To highlight the cardiac and organ-protective properties of levosimendan.
• To review the existing literature on levosimendan's efficacy in various medical fields and experimental models, focusing on HF and LCOS treatment.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of pharmacological studies and clinical trials involving levosimendan.
• Analysis of experimental data investigating levosimendan's mechanisms of action and therapeutic effects.
• Synthesis of findings related to levosimendan's application in cardiology and cardiac surgery.

Main Results:

• Levosimendan demonstrates significant inotropic and vasodilatory effects without increasing myocardial oxygen demand.
• Documented organ-protective properties, including renal and myocardial protection, have been observed.
• Evidence supports levosimendan's efficacy in improving hemodynamics and clinical outcomes in patients with acutely decompensated heart failure and LCOS.

Conclusions:

• Levosimendan represents a valuable therapeutic option for managing heart failure and low cardiac output syndrome.
• Its unique pharmacological profile, including cardiac and organ protection, warrants further investigation and clinical application.
• The review underscores the importance of levosimendan in contemporary cardiovascular pharmacotherapy.