Clinical Pharmacology of Carvedilol

Abstract

Background: There is now a wealth of data supporting the use of beta-blockers in heart failure and the additional pharmacological properties of carvedilol are thought to play an important role in the therapeutic efficacy of carvedilol in this disease. Methods and Results: Carvedilol is licensed for the treatment of essential hypertension, chronic stable angina, and mild to moderate chronic heart failure. This article provides an up-to-date review of the clinical pharmacology of carvedilol, with particular emphasis on its clinical effects in heart failure. Conclusion: Carvedilol is a multiple-action neurohormonal antagonist that offers non selective beta-blockade, alpha-1 blockade, antioxidant, anti-ischemic mortality, and anti proliferative properties. In addition to reductions in hospitalization and mortality rates, benefits of carvedilol in heart failure include dramatic improvements in left ventricular function and other parameters of cardiac remodeling.