Inotropic

Inotropic: what is it and how do medications work?

The inotropic effect is the ability of drugs to affect the contractility of the heart muscle. This effect can be both positive and negative. Medicines that have a positive inotropic effect stimulate the contractility of the heart muscle, increasing the force of its contractions and heart rate. In turn, drugs with negative inotropic effects reduce the contractility of the heart muscle and slow the heart rate.

Examples of drugs with positive inotropic effects include digitalis, dobutamine, and enoxymone. Digitalis contains tannins, which increase the contractility of the heart muscle and improve blood circulation. Dobutamine and enoxymone are synthetic substances that also enhance the contractility of the heart muscle and increase the heart rate.

On the other hand, medications with negative inotropic effects, such as beta blockers (eg, propranolol), reduce the contractility of the heart muscle and slow the heart rate. Beta blockers are used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Although drugs with positive inotropic effects can be effective in treating some cardiovascular diseases, they can also cause side effects such as cardiac arrhythmias and increased myocardial oxygen demand. Therefore, the use of such medications should only be carried out as prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision.

In conclusion, inotropic effect is an important pharmacological property of drugs that can be either beneficial or harmful to the patient. Therefore, before using any medicine, it is necessary to consult a doctor and assess the benefit/risk ratio.

Inotropic is a term that describes the effect on the contractility of the heart muscle.

Positive inotropic drugs, such as digitalis, dobutamine, and enoxymone, stimulate cardiac contractility and increase heart rate. They increase the strength of heart contractions and stroke volume of the heart.

Drugs with negative inotropic effects, in particular beta-blockers such as propranolol, on the contrary, weaken myocardial contractility, reduce heart rate and reduce cardiac output.

Thus, inotropes regulate the strength of heart contractions and play an important role in the treatment of heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. Positive inotropes increase contractility, while negative inotropes decrease contractility.

Inotropic action is a specific class of pharmacological action of a number of medicinal substances aimed at enhancing the functional activity of the heart (heart rate, myocardial contractility). Digitalis (digoxin), dobutamine and enalapril and other drugs are classified as inotropic therapy.