How do antiarrhythmic agents help heart failure?
Some doctors believe that people with heart failure should take antiarrhythmic agents to prevent these deadly arrhythmias. Some of these medicines do appear to reduce the risk of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation in people with heart failure. What’s the problem with antiarrhythmic agents? Three main issues further complicate treatment with antiarrhythmics: • Some antiarrhythmic agents can make systolic heart failure worse. • Drugs known as class I antiarrhythmics (such as quinidine, procainamide, and flecainide) have been shown to increase risk of death in people with heart failure. • Despite their ability to prevent arrhythmias, no antiarrhythmic has actually been proven to lengthen the life span of people with heart failure. For example, amiodarone has not been shown to improve survival of people who have heart failure.1 The possible side effects of antiarrhythmic agents must be compared with the possible benefits for people with heart failure who have never experienced an arr
