Is digitalis currently useful for heart failure treatment?

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José F Guadalajara-Boo, MD, FACC, FAHA

Abstract

Foxglove has been used for over 200 years to reduce water retention in its early days; Since the end of the 19th century, the treatment of heart failure has shown good clinical results. At the beginning of the 20th century, the treatment of heart failure began with good results and in the middle of the century scientific studies were carried out to determine the direct effects on the heart. 10 years later, clinical experience and technological advances demonstrated a really good efficacy that the digitalis effect had for the failing heart, with a defect: it is an old drug that appears obsolete for its current management in the presence of great new drugs that have proven useful in heart failure.


From the last third of the 20th century, it was shown that the heart benefits from the combination are better than the drugs alone, so digitalis has a role that, in combination with the other drugs, significantly enhances the beneficial effects for the treatment of heart failure.

Article Details

How to Cite
GUADALAJARA-BOO, José F. Is digitalis currently useful for heart failure treatment?. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 10, n. 3, apr. 2022. ISSN 2375-1924. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/2744>. Date accessed: 24 dec. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v10i3.2744.
Section
Research Articles

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