Cardiologia Croatica, Vol. 10 No. 5-6, 2015.
Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.15836/ccar.2015.148
Ivabradine in Heart Failure Treatment
Goran Krstačić
; Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Ivabradine is the first specific heart rate-lowering agent that selectively and specifically inhibiting the pacemaker (lf) current, which regulates spontaneous diastolic depolarization in the sinus node and the heart rate. It directly affects the sinus node, with no effect on the interatrial, atrioventricular, or intraventricular conduction times, myocardial contractility, or ventricular repolarization. Ivabradine is indicated for patients with chronic heart failure, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification II to IV, with systolic dysfunction and in patients with sinus rhythm with heart rate ≥75/min, in combination with standard therapy that includes beta blockers, or when beta-blockers are contraindicated or poorly tolerated. Ivabradine improves the prognosis in such patients, reducing the risk of mortality from all causes and mortality from cardiovascular events and heart failure. It improves quality of life by increasing tolerance for physical exertion and prevents progression of the disease by reducing the volume of the left ventricle and improving the ejection fraction.
Keywords
ivabradine; heart frequency; heart failure
Hrčak ID:
141137
URI
Publication date:
5.7.2015.
Visits: 3.610 *