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Review
. 2011 Feb;2(1):19-28.
doi: 10.1177/2042098610393209.

Ivabradine: a new rate-limiting therapy for coronary artery disease and heart failure

Gordon F Rushworth  1 , Philippe Lambrakis  2 , Stephen J Leslie  3
Affiliations
Review

Ivabradine: a new rate-limiting therapy for coronary artery disease and heart failure

Gordon F Rushworth et al. Ther Adv Drug Saf. 2011 Feb.

Abstract

Ivabradine is a new bradycardic agent acting on the I f channels of sinoatrial nodal cells to decrease the rate of diastolic depolarization and thus heart rate. The benefit of ivabradine over other negatively chronotropic agents is its absence of negative inotropy. Effective management of coronary artery disease, in terms of reducing morbidity and mortality, is reliant on controlling heart rate. Ivabradine has been shown to safely and effectively reduce heart rate without compromising cardiac function in patients with coronary artery disease and more recently in patients with heart failure and raised heart rate. Furthermore, ivabradine has been shown to have a favourable side-effect profile compared with alternative bradycardic agents. This article reviews the evidence for ivabradine in coronary artery disease and heart failure and compares its safety with alternative bradycardic agents for these conditions.

Keywords: If channel; If channel inhibitor; coronary artery disease; drug safety; ivabradine.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Sinoatrial ion channel activity and the generation of an action potential.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Pharmacodynamic If channel interaction and the effect on the sinoatrial action potential.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Effect of raised heart rate in heart failure. HR, heart rate; LV, left ventricular.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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