Treatment of Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome resulting from structural or functional impairments involving ventricular filling or ejection of blood. As a result, the heart cannot provide adequate perfusion of peripheral organs to meet their metabolic requirements. The management of HF is multifaceted and often involves a combination of interventions to relieve symptoms and improve hemodynamics. For acute HF, the short-term aim is to stabilize the patient by achieving an optimal hemodynamic status and providing symptomatic treatment through use of various interventions. The drug classes to treat HF include inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, β-adrenergic receptor antagonists, cardiac glycosides, diuretics, positive inotropes, and vasodilators. This chapter discusses the underlying pathophysiology of HF and the pharmacology of drugs used to treat this disorder.