Heart Failure Medication Essay

Total Length: 635 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1+

Page 1 of 2

Heart Failure Medication

The purpose of the article by Gordin and Fonarow (2016) entitled “New Medications for Heart Failure” is to examine and discuss established guidelines for medical treatment for heart failure. Specifically, the article examines pharmacological interventions for heart failure with regard to ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, aldosterone antagonists and reduced ejection fraction. It looks at recent studies that have allowed new therapeutic methods to be developed using ivabradine and valsartan, the former of which decreases heart rate and the latter of which elevates vasodilatory peptides that have an angiotensin receptor antagonist. The article was chosen because it is timely and evaluates the “first new-in-class medications” designed to further help provide quality care for patients suffering from heart failure (Gordin & Fonarow, 2016, p. 491). By examining several trials conducted for the drugs, the study shows that both ivabradine and valsartan are effective in decreasing hospitalizations for patients with heart failure. The trials referenced in the study include: the PARADIGM-HF trial, which found that valsartan helped to thwart the advance of heart failure much better than patients who were treated with enalapril; and the SHIFT trial, which showed that ivabradine improved heart failure patients’ quality of life, increased their ejection fraction, and reduced their end systolic and end diastolic volume indices.


The findings are consistent with and compare favorably to the conclusions of Bas, Baser and Nair (2017) who also note the FDA’s approval of the drugs and the new benefits they bring to patients suffering from heart failure, such as reduced hospitalization and improvements in quality of life. Gordin and Fonarow (2016) indicate that both ivabradine and valsartan may be used as part of a treatment plan for heart failure patients in the future for patients with heart rate at rest of 70 bpm or more. For the purposes of developing a treatment plan,t he study identifies the brand names of these drugs (Corlanor and Entresto, respectively), describes their FDA-approved purposes, the proper dosage for patients and associated goals, when to stop dosage, and the adverse side effects to watch out for, such as hypotension, renal impairment and cough for valsartan (Entresto) and hypertension, bradycardia and atrial fibrillation for ivabradine (Corlanor).

The implications of the article for nursing practice are that nurses should be able to decrease hospitalizations and improve quality of life for patients suffering from heart failure by using ivabradine or valsartan in….....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Heart Failure Medication" (2018, June 05) Retrieved May 10, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/heart-failure-medication-2169792

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Heart Failure Medication" 05 June 2018. Web.10 May. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/heart-failure-medication-2169792>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Heart Failure Medication", 05 June 2018, Accessed.10 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/heart-failure-medication-2169792