Cor Vasa 2004, 45(5):221-225
Novel drugs for the treatment of advanced heart failure
- 1 Kardiocentrum, Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady a 3. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy, Praha, Česká republika
- 2 St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Patients with advanced or uncontrolled chronic heart failure are treated with agents possessing positive inotropic and vasodilator action. The effect of most agents is obtained at the expense of excess intracellular calcium and the associated undesirable effects. Research in pharmacotherapy has recently produced two promising drugs with different modes of action: the calcium sensitizer levosimendan and the recombinant B-natriuretic peptide nesiritide. Clinical trials have furnished evidence of the efficacy of these agents in patients with severe cardiac insufficiency while producing minimal undesirable effects and offering higher safety compared with standard drugs. However, these agents are very costly. As a result, trials are currently underway to determine not only the impact of these drugs on the morbidity and mortality of patients but, also, the pharmacoeconomic parameters of treatment of advanced heart failure.
Keywords: Advanced heart failure; Levosimendan; Nesiritide
Published: May 1, 2004 Show citation