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Levosimendan Boosts
Contractility
Favourable Pharmacokinetics
Best Results in
Decompensated CHF
May Be Useful in Stable CHF...
Good Tolerability Profile
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2. 10 of 10Previous Page
Feature Levosimendan Milrinone Dobutamine
Class Calcium sensitiser Phosphodiesterase inhibitor Catecholamine
Increases intracellular
calcium
concentrations?
No Yes Yes
Increases cardiac
contractility?
Yes Yes Yes
Vasodilator? Coronary and systemic Peripheral Mild peripheral
Increase myocardial
oxygen demand?
No No Yes
Arrhythmogenic
potential
No evidence of
arrhythmogenesis to
date
Ventricular (12.1%) and
supraventricular arrhythmias
(3.8%)
Ventricular ectopic activity
(5%); less arrhythmogenic
than milrinone
Available formulations IVa IV, PO IV
Drug interactions? No clinically important
interactions reported
Few clinically important
interactions
No clinically important
interactions reported
Can be given with
ß-blockers?
Yes Yes Yes
Adverse events Headache, hypotension Ventricular irregularities,
hypotension, headache
Tachycardia and increased
SBP on overdosage
a An oral formulation is under development
IV = intravenously; PO = orally; SBP = systolic blood pressure.
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to Avoid Them
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VIEW MOR
Apolipoprotein B
Apolipoprotein A-I
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Drug Ther Perspect. 2001;17(20) © 2001 Adis Data Information BV
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