St. Michael's Hospital, the Heart & Stroke/Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence, and Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Heart failure is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Clinical trials over the past 2 decades have revolutionized the care of patients with systolic heart failure, and substantial data support the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, angiotensin-receptor blockers, and aldosterone blockers in the management of this serious condition. This article reviews the evidence on the pharmacologic treatment of heart failure, with a focus on recent clinical trials.