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Review
. 2023 Apr 24;10(5):190.
doi: 10.3390/jcdd10050190.

Cardiac Drugs in ACHD Cardiovascular Medicine

Magalie Ladouceur  1   2 , Estibaliz Valdeolmillos  3   4 , Clément Karsenty  5   6 , Sébastien Hascoet  3   4 , Pamela Moceri  7 , Laurianne Le Gloan  8
Affiliations
Review

Cardiac Drugs in ACHD Cardiovascular Medicine

Magalie Ladouceur et al. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. .

Abstract

Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) is a growing population that requires life-long care due to advances in pediatric care and surgical or catheter procedures. Despite this, drug therapy in ACHD remains largely empiric due to the lack of clinical data, and formalized guidelines on drug therapy are currently lacking. The aging ACHD population has led to an increase in late cardiovascular complications such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and pulmonary hypertension. Pharmacotherapy, with few exceptions, in ACHD is largely supportive, whereas significant structural abnormalities usually require interventional, surgical, or percutaneous treatment. Recent advances in ACHD have prolonged survival for these patients, but further research is needed to determine the most effective treatment options for these patients. A better understanding of the use of cardiac drugs in ACHD patients could lead to improved treatment outcomes and a better quality of life for these patients. This review aims to provide an overview of the current status of cardiac drugs in ACHD cardiovascular medicine, including the rationale, limited current evidence, and knowledge gaps in this growing area.

Keywords: adult congenital heart disease; drug therapy; heart failure; pharmacological therapy; trials.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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