Heart medications classification

Pro Research Analysisby

Searched over 200M research papers

Analyzed relevant papers

Overview of Heart Medications Classification

Heart medications, also known as cardiovascular drugs, are classified based on their therapeutic use, mechanism of action, and the specific heart conditions they treat. The main categories include drugs for heart failure, antiarrhythmic agents, antihypertensives, and lipid-lowering agents, among others. Each class targets different aspects of heart function and disease management 24.

Classification of Heart Failure Medications

For heart failure, especially heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), medications are often grouped into several main classes:

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEi) and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARB): These drugs help relax blood vessels and reduce the workload on the heart.
Beta Blockers: They slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure, reducing the heart's demand for oxygen.
Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists (MRA): These help the body get rid of excess salt and water, easing the heart's workload.
Statins: Primarily used to lower cholesterol, but also shown to benefit certain heart failure patients 146.

Recent research using machine learning has shown that the effectiveness of these medications can vary depending on the specific phenotype of HFpEF, suggesting a more personalized approach to treatment .

Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Classification Systems

Antiarrhythmic drugs are used to treat abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). The most widely used system for classifying these drugs is the Vaughan Williams classification, which divides them into four main classes based on their effects on the heart's electrical activity:

Class I: Sodium channel blockers (e.g., quinidine, lidocaine, flecainide)
Class II: Beta blockers
Class III: Potassium channel blockers (e.g., amiodarone, sotalol)
Class IV: Calcium channel blockers

Modern updates to this system have expanded the classification to include more drug types and mechanisms, reflecting advances in understanding of cardiac electrophysiology 378. Some drugs may fit into more than one class due to multiple mechanisms of action .

Other Major Classes of Heart Medications

Diuretics: Help remove excess fluid from the body, reducing blood pressure and swelling.
Organic Nitrates: Used to treat angina by dilating blood vessels.
Calcium Channel Blockers: Lower blood pressure and treat angina by relaxing blood vessels and reducing heart workload.
Lipid-Lowering Agents (Statins): Reduce cholesterol levels to prevent heart disease 24.

Special Considerations in Heart Medication Use

Pediatric Use: Many heart medications are used off-label in children due to limited pediatric-specific research, highlighting the need for more studies in this population .
Medication Harm: Cardiovascular medications are among the leading causes of medication-related harm, especially in older adults. Common issues include kidney injury, electrolyte imbalances, and low blood pressure. Careful prescribing and monitoring are essential .
Precision Medicine: Advances in machine learning and data analysis are helping to identify which medications work best for specific patient subgroups, moving toward more personalized treatment strategies 15.

Conclusion

Heart medications are classified into several main groups based on their therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action, including drugs for heart failure, antiarrhythmics, antihypertensives, and lipid-lowering agents. The classification systems continue to evolve as new drugs and mechanisms are discovered. Personalized approaches and careful monitoring are increasingly important to maximize benefits and minimize harm, especially in vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children 1347910.

Sources and full results

Most relevant research papers on this topic

Medications for specific phenotypes of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction classified by a machine learning-based clustering model

Machine learning-based clustering identified MRA, ACEi or ARB, and statin as effective medications for specific phenotypes of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Observational Study

2023·

11citations

·Y. Sotomi et al.

A review of drugs affecting the heart.

Cardiac drugs include glycosides, antiarrhythmic agents, and diuretics, with their effectiveness influenced by factors such as renal and hepatic disease, electrolyte disturbances, drug interactions, and bioavailability.

1977·

13citations

·Jenkins Wl et al.

Letter by Hu et al Regarding Article, "Modernized Classification of Cardiac Antiarrhythmic Drugs".

The new classification of cardiac antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) into 8 classes, 32 types, will advance treatment decisions and help develop new AADs in the future.

Very Rigorous Journal

2019·

0citations

·Dan Hu et al.

Medications Used for the Cardiovascular System

This chapter reviews common cardiovascular medications, including organic nitrates, calcium-channel blockers, and statins, for treating angina pectoris, hypertension, heart failure, and arrhythmias.

2020·

1citation

·J. Adams et al.

Multi-label text classification of cardiovascular drug attributes based on BERT and BiGRU

The proposed multi-label text classification method effectively classifies cardiovascular drug attributes from Chinese drug guidelines, achieving a high accuracy rate of 0.8339.

2024·

3citations

·Hongzhen Cui et al.

Heart Failure Medications Detection and Prescription Status Classification in Clinical Narrative Documents

Combining rule-based and machine learning methods, we achieved 99.3% recall and 98.8% precision in detecting heart failure medications in clinical narrative documents, with 95.49% accuracy in determining prescription status.

2015·

15citations

·S. Meystre et al.

Implications of Antiarrhythmic Pharmacology.

Antiarrhythmic pharmacology focuses on sodium and potassium channel blockers, which can treat atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, but long-term use in patients with ischemic heart disease may increase the risk of sudden cardiac death.

2019·

0citations

·K. Marzlin

Drugs Used in Cardiac Arrhythmias

Antiarrhythmic drugs effectively tilt imbalances in cardiac impulse formation or conduction, preventing sudden cardiac deaths and enhancing survival rates.

2021·

2citations

·G. M. Raj

Patient harm from cardiovascular medications

Cardiovascular medications are a leading cause of medication harm, particularly in older adults, and should be the focus of harm mitigation strategies.

Systematic ReviewRigorous Journal

2021·

8citations

·Chariclia Paradissis et al.

Off-Label Use of Cardiovascular Medications in Children Hospitalized With Congenital and Acquired Heart Disease

Off-label use of cardiovascular medications is common in children hospitalized with congenital and acquired heart disease, highlighting the need for further study on safe and effective treatments.

Observational StudyHighly Cited

2008·

77citations

·S. Pasquali et al.

Try another search

stroke symptoms arm numbness

quantum physics research papers

plaque removal from arteries

ALS risk factors in athletes

causes of stomach pain

hydrochloride uses in pharmaceuticals