[Long-term vasodilator therapy of chronic refractory heart failure in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy]

The effect of long-term vasodilator therapy (hydralazine, ecarazine or budralazine + isosorbide dinitrate) were evaluated for 20 patients with chronic congestive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) resistant to conventional therapy. There were 16 men and four women whose ages ranged from 30 to 74 years (mean 52 years). Fifteen patients were in NYHA class III, and five in class IV. All patients continued their previous therapeutic regimens during this study. Hemodynamic measurements were performed with a triple lumen flow-directed balloon-tipped catheter for 15 patients to evaluate the effects of vasodilator therapy. In the other five patients, heart rate, blood pressure, chest radiography for heart size (CTR) and M-mode echocardiography were monitored. The hemodynamic responses to the combined vasodilator therapy for 15 patients showed significant decreases in afterload and preload concomitant with an increase in cardiac output. The noninvasive evaluations of combined vasodilator therapy in five patients resulted in significant improvement in heart size and ejection fraction. In all 20 patients, symptoms were significantly improved. Side effects and drug toxicity were uncommon during vasodilator therapy. It is concluded that combined vasodilator treatment is the most ajunctive therapy for the management of severe refractory heart failure due to DCM. In addition, long-term nonparenteral vasodilators can be administered even in an outpatient clinic without hemodynamic monitoring.