Heart Failure Medications
Prescription medications are the most effective treatments for the management of heart failure.
These medications often have to be adjusted periodically as the disease progresses.
The optimal therapy of heart failure typically requires combining several kinds of medications whenever possible.
Theresa Chiechi / Verywell
Beta-Blockers
Beta-blockersare used for heart failure because they slow down the heart rate.
This allows the heart to fill more completely before pumping, providing the body with more blood each heartbeat.
This helps alleviate some of the fatigue you might experience due to heart failure.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Commonly useddiureticsinclude:
Potassium levels can become low with diuretic use, so mineral supplementation may be required.
They are similar to ACE inhibitors in mechanism and effectiveness but have fewer side effects.
Hydralazine
Hydralazine in combination with nitrates works to dilate (expand) arteries, lowering blood pressure.
This prevents the worsening of heart failure by reducing the strain on the heart.
Dopamine
By making the heart beat more forcefully, dopamine helps it circulate oxygen-rich blood more efficiently.
Interestingly, unlike many of the other medications used for heart failure that lower blood pressure, dopamineraisesblood pressure.
In some circumstances, this effect is helpful becauselow blood pressuremay occur in heart failure.
Dopamine is an intravenous (IV) drug and is generally reserved for treating advanced heart failure.
However, it can be especially useful in premature babies and infants with other heart problems.
It can boost babies' heart rates and blood pressure, significantly improving their chances of survival.
Dopamine shouldn’t be taken withbeta-blockers, which lengthen and strengthen the normal effect of dopamine.
While these changes cannot cure heart failure, they can help improve your quality of life.
Reducing Salt
Eating salt causes the body to retain more fluid.
The best ways to cut salt intake include avoiding canned or processed foods and not using table salt.
Bariatric surgery has been shown to help prevent and manage heart failure.
Over time, it can help make the heart work more efficiently, reducing heart rate and blood pressure.
It can also boost your stamina and improve your breathing.
Always talk with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine.
They can tell you which activities and intensity level are safe for you.
They might even suggest a cardiac rehab program.
Over-the-Counter Therapies
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are not normally beneficial in heart failure.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
These approaches do not cure or improve the condition, and they have not been proven to prolong life.
However, they may improve symptoms and help prevent heart failure from worsening.
Complementary therapies should never be used in place of medical treatments recommended by your healthcare provider.
Always tell your practitioner about any alternative or complementary treatments you’re using.
Procedures
Surgery or other procedures do not cureheart failureitself.
CRT can be useful in selected people with heart failure who also have certain kinds ofbundle branch block.
They are usually done under local anesthesia and are typically tolerated well.
Most people stay in the hospital for observation for about 24 hours.
Placement of these devices requires general anesthesia and a recovery period of several days.
This is a major surgical procedure, requiring general anesthesia and intense monitoring during surgery.
You may have the procedure in the operating room or in a specialized cardiac procedural suite in the hospital.
you could expect a relatively quick recovery if your procedure is uncomplicated.
Valve replacement
A replacement heart valve can address blood flow restriction due to abnormal valve structure.
A heart valve replacement uses either an artificial valve or one composed of human or pig tissue.
Whichtype of heart valve replacementis best for you depends on your anatomical heart valve problem and your personal preferences.
A Word From Verywell
Heart failure is a complex disease that requires a personalized approach.
Heart failure is a complex condition.
No two cases of heart failure are the same.
Treatment needs to be fine-tuned to your particular condition.
Diuretics and beta blockers are mainstays of therapy that are commonly used to lessen acute symptoms.
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