THE EFFECTS OF PRAZOSIN IN SEVERE CONGESTIVE HEART-FAILURE - AN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC STUDY

Patients (12) with severe chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) received prazosin in a dose of 4 to 20 mg daily for a period of 2 mo., in addition to cardiac glycosides and diuretic drugs. After this treatment left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased from 5.7 .+-. 0.4 to 5.4 .+-. 0.4 cm (P < 0.001), left ventricular end-systolic diameter decreased from 4.3 .+-. 0.5 to 4 .+-. 0.5 (P < 0.001), left ventricular stroke excursion increased from 1.03 .+-. 0.11 to 1.27 .+-. 0.15 cm (P < 0.01), the ejection fraction increased fron 24.9 .+-. 2.1 to 32.2 .+-. 2.8 (P < 0.001) and the mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening increased from 0.68 .+-. 0.06 to 0.79 .+-. 0.08 circumferences/s (P = 0.06). Prazosin treatment clearly relieved dyspnea and fatigue. Three patients improved from Class IV to Class III, 4 patients improved from Class IV to Class II and 3 patients from Class III to Class II.