The Use and Indication of Ivabradine in Heart Failure

Abstract

Heart failure affects more than 6 million people in the United States each year and the prognosis is poor. The elevated heart rate in heart failure patents is problematic, because it increases myocardial oxygen demand, decreases myocardial perfusion, and has been associated with increased rates of hospitalization and mortality. For these reasons, heart rate reduction has long been a therapeutic target in heart failure. Ivabradine is a selective inhibitor of the sinoatrial pacemaker modulating "f-current" (I_f) and provides heart rate reduction that can be beneficial in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Keywords: Goal-directed medical therapy; Heart failure; Heart failure drug therapy; Heart rate; Heart rate lowering; Ivabradine; Sinoatrial node.