Heart rate reduction by pharmacological If current inhibition.

Abstract

Heart rate reduction is becoming a new strategy to treat coronary patients. The development of heart-rate-lowering drugs, with a more specific activity than Beta-blockers, coincides with the detection of the sinoatrial pacemaker I(f) current. The first selective I(f) inhibitor that has been approved for clinical use is ivabradine. Ivabradine has been shown to reduce heart rate, preserve myocardial contractility, increase diastolic filling and maintain both small and large coronary artery vasodilation, whatever the level of exercise, thus ensuring adequate endocardial blood perfusion during exercise. Furthermore ivabradine decreases myocardial oxygen consumption and improves myocardial energetics, protecting the myocardium during acute ischemic conditions and showing favorable antiremodelling properties in patients with chronic ischemic disease.