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Heart Failure - Medications

You probably will need to take several medicines to treat heart failure, even if you don't have symptoms yet. Medicines don't cure heart failure. But they can help your heart work better and improve any symptoms that you do have.

Medicines can:

Relieve or control symptoms.
Treat other health problems you have, such as coronary artery disease.
Improve your daily quality of life.
Slow the rate at which your heart failure gets worse.
Reduce the chance of other problems from heart failure, such as stroke.
Reduce hospital stays.
Help you live as long as possible.

It's very important to take your medicines exactly as your doctor says. If you don't, your heart failure may get worse or you may get sudden heart failure. For more information, see:

Heart Failure: Taking Medicines Properly.

Medicine Choices

The medicines you take will depend on the type of heart failure you have. Some of the medicines treat the heart's pumping problems (systolic heart failure), while others treat problems with filling (diastolic heart failure). The most commonly used medicines are listed below.

Medicines for pumping problems (systolic heart failure)

These include:

ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) to relax and widen blood vessels. This makes it easier for blood to flow.
ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers) to make it easier for blood to flow through the vessels.
Diuretics to help relieve symptoms like swelling in the legs.
Aldosterone receptor antagonists to make the kidneys get rid of extra fluid.
Digoxin to help the heart pump more blood with each beat.
Beta-blockers slow the heart rate and may help the heart fill with blood more completely.
Vasodilators to lower blood pressure and reduce the workload on the heart.

Medicines for filling problems (diastolic heart failure)

Medicines that might be used include:

Other medicines

You also may take other medicines for health problems that can cause heart failure or for problems caused by heart failure. These problems include irregular heart rhythms, blood clots, and high blood pressure.

The medicines include:

Blood thinners, also known as anticoagulants, to prevent dangerous blood clots.
Antiarrhythmics to prevent very fast and sometimes irregular heart rhythms.
Antihypertensives to lower blood pressure.

What to Think About

Talk to your doctor before you take any over-the-counter medicines. Some of them might make your symptoms worse. For more information, see:

Heart Failure: Avoiding Medicines That Make Symptoms Worse.

More information

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: December 15, 2010

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.