Common cardiac drugs are used to prevent or treat existing heart disease. Cardiac drugs help healing after a heart attack, treat congestive heart failure, control heart rhythm problems and lower blood pressure. Cardiac drugs also relax the blood vessels, get rid of fluid from heart failure, slow the heart rate, treat rhythm disturbances, increase the heart's pumping action and decrease workload of the heart.
Common Drugs for Heart Attack
After a heart attack, drugs known as beta-blockers are a mainstay of treatment. Beta-blockers slow the heart rate and reduce the workload of the heart so injured tissue can heal. Beta-blockers also lower blood pressure and help keep the heart in rhythm from excitability of the heart muscle that can occur following injury. Examples include metoprolol, inderal, sotalol, pindolol and carvedilol. Beta-blockers are common cardiac drugs that also treat heart failure.
ACE Inhibitors
ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors generally are used to lower blood pressure and also are considered common cardiac drugs. These medications lower blood pressure by blocking the action of angiotensin I that converts to an enzyme known as angiotensin II, which constricts blood vessels. ACE inhibitors improve blood flow to the heart by allowing the blood vessels to stay open and relaxed. ACE inhibitors also break down another enzyme, known as bradykinin, that can constrict blood vessels. Improved blood flow in turn treats heart failure and decreases the workload of the heart. Examples include benazepril, ramipril, lisinopril, fosinopril, moexipril and trandolapril. These medications improve rates of survival after heart attack.
Angiotensin II Blockers
ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers) are also a common class of cardiac drugs that have the same result as ACE inhibitors but with fewer side effects. ARBs are more costly and carry higher co-payments on most drug formularies. ACE inhibitors often produce a dry hacking cough that can be intolerable, making ARB drugs more tolerable. Rather than targeting angiotensin I as described above, the ARBs directly act on angiotensin II in the body to relax, dilate and improve blood flow through the cardiovascular system. Findings from the "Journal of Human Hypertension" suggests that angiotensin II receptor blockers lead to better medicine compliance because of fewer side effects compared to ACE inhibitors. Examples include candesartan, valsartan, irbesartan and eprosartan.
Calcium Channel Blockers
Calcium channel blockers commonly are used to treat heart rhythm problems and lower blood pressure. They work by preventing calcium from entering the cells, and the result is relaxation of the blood vessel. In the heart, blocking calcium reduces the excitability of pathways that regulate cardiac rhythm and rate. Slowing the heart rate provides additional time for blood to fill the heart chambers. When the heart contracts, more blood is ejected, providing better oxygen throughout the body and more energy. Amlodipine, cardizem, nifedipine and verapamil are examples of calcium channel blockers.
Cardiac Glycosides
Medications to treat congestive heart failure, called cardiac glycosides, include digitoxin, digoxin and deslanoside. They slow the heart rate and improve the pumping action of the heart muscle. Plants containing cardiac glycosides have been used for thousands of years.
