Clinical efficacy of ibopamine in patients with chronic heart failure.

Ibopamine, the most widely studied dopaminergic drug for the treatment of chronic heart failure, appears to have beneficial hemodynamic, renal, and neurohormonal effects in this setting. Angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have become the recommended standard treatment for chronic heart failure; however, some patients may benefit from additional drugs to improve their symptoms and functional capacity. Ibopamine may be effective as an additive drug for patients with chronic heart failure. It is also possible that ibopamine will improve survival in these patients. Large-scale trials are needed to assess the effects on morbidity and mortality when ibopamine is added to ACE inhibitors, diuretics, and possibly digitalis.