Oral therapy with phentolamine in chronic congestive heart failure.

Therapy with phentolamine can improve the condition of patients with congestive heart failure due to the inotropic effect of this drug, as well as its vasodilating action. The use of oral therapy with phentolamine has not been adequately investigated in patients with chronic heart failure. Therefore, nine patients with chronic heart failure due to underlying valvular disease received 50 mg of phentolamine four times a day for two weeks. Echocardiograms and measurements of systolic time intervals were obtained prior to administration of phentolamine and two weeks after the introduction of therapy with the drug. As a result of therapy with phentolamine, the ejection fraction, the percentage of change in the minor axis, and the velocity of circumferential fiber shortening significantly increased, while the left atrial dimension decreased. Therapy with phentolamine produced a significant decrease in the preejection period index, as well as the ratio of the preejection period over the left ventricular ejection time. Thus, oral therapy with phentolamine improves left ventricular function in patients with chronic heart failure.