Abstract
The use of vasodilators to assist in the management of advanced heart failure has gained widespread acceptance in human cardiology. The early experience with these same drugs in the management of heart failure in domestic animals has similarly been encouraging.
Vasodilators function to favorably alter preload and afterload in the heart failure setting. Venodilators can resolve pulmonary edema by reducing an elevated left heart preload. Arterial vasodilators can increase stroke volume, reduce an elevated preload, and blunt or abolish the stimulation of the harmful compensatory measures that are induced in the presence of heart failure. Both classes require careful monitoring to ensure that marked hypotension does not occur.
Vasodilator therapy can significantly complement other traditional modalities of drug therapy in cases of advanced heart failure.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bonagura J. D. Fluid and electrolyte management of the cardiac patient. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1982 Aug;12(3):501–513. doi: 10.1016/s0195-5616(82)50058-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Braunwald E. Vasodilator therapy--a physiologic approach to the treatment of heart failure. N Engl J Med. 1977 Aug 11;297(6):331–333. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197708112970609. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chatterjee K., Parmley W. W. Vasodilator therapy for acute myocardial infarction and chronic congestive heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1983 Jan;1(1):133–153. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(83)80018-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cohn J. N., Franciosa J. A. Vasodilator therapy of cardiac failure (second of two parts). N Engl J Med. 1977 Aug 4;297(5):254–258. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197708042970506. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cohn J. N., Franciosa J. A. Vasodilator therapy of cardiac failure: (first of two parts). N Engl J Med. 1977 Jul 7;297(1):27–31. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197707072970105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kittleson M. D., Hamlin R. L. Hydralazine pharmacodynamics in the dog. Am J Vet Res. 1983 Aug;44(8):1501–1505. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kittleson M. D., Johnson L. E., Oliver N. B. Acute hemodynamic effects of hydralazine in dogs with chronic mitral regurgitation. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1985 Aug 1;187(3):258–261. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pyle R. L., Lowensohn H. S., Khouri E. M., Gregg D. E., Patterson D. F. Left circumflex coronary artery hemodynamics in conscious dogs with congenital subaortic stenosis. Circ Res. 1973 Jul;33(1):34–38. doi: 10.1161/01.res.33.1.34. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]