Medical Management: Heart Failure Treatment

In many cases, drugs can alleviate the consequences of congestive heart failure (CHF). Managing heart failure with medicine is a time-tested strategy that has helped people live better lives for years.

Every medicine has side effects and risks, but the risks are usually not as serious as leaving CHF untreated. Never stop taking medications without talking to your doctor.

Request an appointment today.

Heart Failure Medicines

Type

How do they work?

Drug names

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  • Block a hormone that increases blood pressure and worsens heart failure
  • Regulate blood pressure to improve cardiac function
  • Captopril (Capoten®)
  • Enalapril (Vasotec®)
  • Lisinopril (Prinivil®)
Beta blockers
  • Keep stimulating hormones like epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine away from the heart's beta receptors
  • Block the hormones to reduce the stress on the heart
  • Often used in conjunction with ACE inhibitors
  • Carvedilol (Coreg®)
  • Metoprolol (Toprol-XL®)
Diuretics (water pills)
  • Increase urination to help the kidneys eliminate excess fluid from the body
  • Often used together with a low sodium diet
  • Furosemide (Lasix®)
  • Ethacrynic acid (Edecrin®)
  • Bumetanide (Bumex®)
  • Hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURILl®)
  • Chlorothiazide (Diuril®)

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