The Heart Failure Treatment of β-Blockers

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) refers to a syndrome that causes the heart's pumping function to be impaired for a variety of reasons, and the cardiac output cannot meet the basic metabolic needs of systemic tissues. The main symptoms are dyspnea, weariness and fluid retention. HF has plagued patients, greatly reduced their quality of life, and caused a considerable medical burden, so this disease is an urgent problem to be solved. Cardiac adrenergic receptors and their signal transduction mechanisms are closely related to HF. Studies have shown that sympathetic nervous are continuously activated during the process of HF, and the level of circulating catecholamines(CAs) are relevant to the degree and prognosis of HF, while changes in sympathetic nerve tension directly cause corresponding biological effects mediated by adrenergic receptors, affecting the process of HF. In order to effectively treat HF, many kinds of β-blockers have been studied. β-blockers are a type of drugs that selectively bind to adrenergic receptors, thereby antagonizing the agonistic effects of neurotransmitters and CAs on the β-receptors. The present review discusses several different β-blockers and focuses on their selectivity and pharmacokinetics, also some of their common side effects are listed and summarized. β-blockers have been playing a cornerstone role in the treatment of HF, and it can be expected that they will be more widely used in the field of HF treatment. Therefore, in order to reduce their side effects and make them better for patients, β-blockers should be further improved based on some of their characteristics. In addition, the use of β-blocker drugs should also be bolder and more personalized to ensure that they exert their maximum effect.