HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Treating heart failure
Heart failure cannot be cured but it can be controlled through healthy lifestyle measures and medicines. You have an important part to play in managing heart failure.
Your GP or heart specialist (cardiologist) will advise you on the medicine options and start you on the appropriate treatment.
The type of medicines you'll need depends on the type of heart failure you have and how severe it is.
Medications known as diuretics are used to treat your symptoms by getting rid of extra fluid. Other medications are used to help your heart pump better and may help you live longer.
You may need one or more medicines and there might need to be a period of adjusting doses and adding medicines to see what works best for you.
Types of medicines to treat heart failure
- Diuretics to help your body get rid of extra fluid. These medicines include furosemide and bendroflumethiazide.
- ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) to help your heart pump blood through your blood vessels. These medicines include enalapril and candesartan.
- Beta blockers to make your heart beat slower and reduce your blood pressure. These medicines include atenolol and carvedilol.
- Aldosterone antagonists are another type of diuretic. These medicines include spironolactone and eplerenone.
- Angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs) are used instead of ACE inhibitors or ARBs if these aren't controlling your heart failure. These medicines include sacubitril with valsartan.
- Digoxin to help your heart beat strongly and to help control your heartbeat.
- Blood thinning medications to help stop blood clots forming. These medicines include warfarin and dabigatran.
Other treatments
Some people need a device such as a pacemaker, cardiac resynchronisation therapy pacemaker (CRT-P) or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to help manage their heart failure.
Heart surgery is sometimes needed depending on the cause of the heart failure. For example, a faulty heart valve may need replacing.
Advanced heart failure
Although treatment can help control symptoms, heart failure can get worse over time, becoming more severe and getting to a point where treatment isn't that effective any more. Read more about advanced heart failure.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Heart Foundation – Staying well with heart failure
A booklet about what you can do each day to manage your heart failure and improve your quality of life. You can order a free copy or download a PDF.
On the next page: Self-care for heart failure
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed December 2021.
Review key: HIHFA-27478
