Medical Therapy for Chronic Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: Roman Jaeschke
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1989)

Editorials15 May 1989Medical Therapy for Chronic Congestive Heart FailureRoman Jaeschke, MD, Gordon H. Guyatt, MDRoman Jaeschke, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Gordon H. Guyatt, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-110-10-758 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptCongestive heart failure remains a common final manifestation of ischemic, valvular, hypertensive, and myocardial disease. In the United States alone an estimated 400 000 persons develop congestive heart failureannually (1), and the prognosis of those with symptomatic heart failure remains very poor (1, 2). Five years ago, diuretics were used as the initial theraphy of congestive heart failure in the absence of randomized trials showing improvement in either symptoms or ultimate outcome. Vasodilators were considered a third-line drug (after diuretics and digitalis) and a number of vasodilators were possible choices. Digoxin was used as first- or second-line therapy without its...Reference1. Smith WM Epidemiology of congestive heart failure. Am J Cardiol. 1985:55:3A-8A. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Effects of enalapril on monality in severe congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med. 1987;316:1429-35. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. CowleyStainerWynneRowleyHampton AKRJJ. Symptomatic assessment of patients with heart failure: double-blind comparison of increasing doses of diuretics and Captopril in moderate heart failure. Lancet. 1986;2:770-2. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. RichardsonBaylissScrivenParameshwarPoole-WilsonSutton AJAJPG. Double-blind comparison of Captopril alone against furosemide plus amiloride in mild heart failure. Lancet. 1987;2:709-11. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. ClelandDargieHodsman JHG. Captopril in heart failure. Br Heart J. 1984;52:530-5. 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TaggartJohnstonMcDevitt AGD. Digoxin withdrawal after cardiac failure in patients with sinus rhythm. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 1983;5:229-34. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar18. DiBiancoShabetaiKostuk RRW. A comparison of oral milrinone, digoxin, and their combination in the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure. N Engl J Med. 1989;320:677-83. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar19. ChorariaTaylorPilcher SDJ. Double-blind crossover comparison of enoximone and placebo in patients with congestive heart failure. Circulation. 1987;76:1307-11. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar20. Shanes J. Beta-blockade—rational or irrational therapy for congestive heart failure. Circulation. 1987;76:971-2. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar21. Packer M, ed. Symposium on therapeutic challenges in the management of congestive heart failure. Part I and II. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1988;12:262-83, 546-69. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar22. SharpeMurphySmithHannan NJHS. Treatment of patients with symptomless left ventricular dysfunction after myocardial infarction. Lancet. 1988;1:255-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byKlinischer Einsatz der ACE-HemmerSustained improvement in functional capacity after removal of body fluid with isolated ultrafiltration in chronic cardiac insufficiency: Failure of furosemide to provide the same resultHeart Failure Secondary to Coronary Artery DiseaseAgranulocytosis Associated with EnalaprilTo what extent do congestive heart failure patients in sinus rhythm benefit from digoxin therapy? A systematic overview and meta-analysisMedical Therapy for Chronic Congestive Heart FailureKenneth M. Kessler, MD 15 May 1989Volume 110, Issue 10Page: 758-760KeywordsBiostatisticsClinical epidemiologyDiureticsDrugsHeart diseasesHeart failureMuscular dystrophiesRandomized trialsValvular diseasesVasodilators Issue Published: 15 May 1989 PDF downloadLoading ...