Medicines for the Treatment of Heart Murmurs

Definition

By "heart murmur" we mean a pseudo-pathological condition in which the duration, frequency and intensity of heartbeats are different from physiological ones: in other words, the flow of blood pumped by the heart loses its silence. In a patient suffering from a heart murmur, the doctor, using a stethoscope, perceives a so-called "laminar" flow, in which a slight hiss (a murmur) is heard when the blood flows inside the heart muscle.

Causes

Heart murmur can be a congenital dysfunction or develop late; There are two types of heart murmurs:

Heart murmurs benign: they are harmless and do not degenerate into heart disease. They can be favored by anemia, fever, pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, valve malfunction, excessive stress, and are generally transient.
Malignant or pathological heart murmurs: the cause essentially lies in severe heart valve abnormalities, valve calcifications, heart dysfunction, septal defects, endocarditis, rheumatic fever, infections, mitral valve prolapse

Symptoms

Benign heart murmurs do not cause any symptoms and do not cause any pathological effects, even in the long term. Different and more delicate speech for the pathological forms, which can manifest themselves with various symptoms: increase / decrease in appetite, cyanotic skin, chest pain (typical of angina pectoris), strong sweating, enlarged liver, shortness of breath, fainting , dizziness.

The information on Heart Murmur - Heart Murmur Drugs is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Heart Murmur - Heart Murmur Drugs.

Medicines

As analyzed, heart murmur does not always mask an underlying disease; it is estimated that at least half of those born suffer from benign heart murmur, which tends to resolve quickly. It should be emphasized, however, that even in adults the heart murmur is not defined as a disease in all respects, although it may be a signal of a "basic cardiac alteration: for the diagnostic assessment, the doctor's opinion, one more time, it is essential.
A benign heart murmur does not require any treatment, neither pharmacological nor surgical, precisely because the heart does not present anomalies; clearly, when the benign heart murmur depends on hyperthyroidism or a particularly high fever, it is essential to treat these pathological conditions which, consequently, will also produce a regulation of the frequency, intensity and duration of the heartbeat.
Different speech must be addressed in case of abnormal or pathological heart murmur: in some cases, it is necessary to undergo surgery:

Cardiac catheterization: insertion of a catheter into the veins or arteries of the arms or legs (in particular, the inguinal arteries are considered), which is advanced to the heart chambers
Replacing / fixing a valve
Reconstruction of a blood vessel
Dilation of a blood vessel (stent insertion)

When surgery is not necessary, it is possible to follow a drug therapy in which the choice of drug depends on the specific pathology that creates the heart murmur.

The following are the classes of drugs most used in therapy against heart murmur, and some examples of pharmacological specialties; it is up to the doctor to choose the most suitable active ingredient and dosage for the patient, based on the severity of the disease, the state of health of the patient and his response to treatment:

Overweight, obesity, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are conditions that can increase the risk or exacerbate heart murmurs; therefore, it is recommended to undertake specific therapeutic-pharmacological paths to treat these underlying pathologies: not surprisingly, disorders listed above are the main cardiovascular risk factors:

Diuretics: diuretic drugs favor the elimination of excess fluids from the body; since the heart murmur could be accentuated by hypervolemia and consequent hypertension, it is recommended that blood pressure be constantly monitored.
ACE inhibitors and beta blockers: other drugs widely used to treat hypertension. As analyzed, pressure disorders can accentuate heart murmurs (when preexistent) or even favor their onset.

For further information: read the article on drugs for the treatment of hypertension

Statins and fibrates: these are two pharmacological classes used in therapy for the control of blood cholesterol values. High cholesterol, in fact, seems to contribute to emphasize the heart murmur and other disorders affecting the heart valves. For this reason, administering similar medications can positively help control and avoid heart murmurs.

For further information: read the article on drugs for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia

Digitalis drugs: When the heart is unable to pump blood effectively, digitalis drugs can be a good help, to be considered when the heart murmur is a consequence of a weakened heart.

Digoxin (eg. Lanoxin, Eudigox, Digoss FN): the drug is available in 0.0625-0.125-0.5 mg tablets, 0.5 mg ampoules or syrup (0.05 mg / ml). The precise dosage of digoxin cannot be reported, since it should only be administered after the diagnosis and detection of disease severity. Consult your doctor.

Anticoagulant drugs: indicated for patients suffering from heart murmurs, especially if at risk of stroke or myocardial infarction. They are useful for preventing blood clots from forming in the heart:

Acetylsalicylic acid (eg. Aspirin, Cardioaspirin, Aspirinetta): when the patient is suffering from or is at risk of heart disease, stroke, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, even in the context of a heart murmur, chronic administration of aspirin is an option The patient, in most cases, will have to take the drug for life. The recommended dosage varies according to the type of problem, approximately from 50 to 325 mg or more per day. Consult your doctor.
Warfarin (eg. Coumadin): often this drug must be taken in combination with acetylsalicylic acid. Start therapy with a dose of drug ranging from 2 to 5 mg, to be taken orally or intravenously, once a day for 1 -2 days; thereafter, the dose must be fine-tuned by the doctor based on the patient's general health and response to treatment. The maintenance dose involves taking 2-10 mg of the drug per day. Do not continue the therapy for too long. Consult your doctor.
Clopidogrel (Plavix, Zyllt, Zylagren, Zopya, Iscover, Grepid, Clopidogrel Winthrop, Clopidogrel Acino): the antiplatelet activity of clopidogrel is useful to prevent the formation of thrombus (blood clots) in the patient's arteries, at risk or affected heart murmur associated with heart disease. The drug is an "alternative to" acetylsalicylic acid. The dosage and method of administration of the drug should be determined by the physician based on the severity of the heart murmur and the response to treatment.