Managing and Understanding Heart Failure Medications

Heart failure medications can feel overwhelming — complex names, multiple classes, and questions about side effects and interactions. This course breaks it down clearly. You'll explore the major drug classes used in heart failure management — ACE inhibitors, ARBs, ARNIs, beta blockers, diuretics, MRAs, SGLT2 inhibitors, and sinus node inhibitors — learning what each does, why it's prescribed, and what to watch for. Designed for patients and caregivers, this course helps you understand your treatment plan and have confident, informed conversations with your care team.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Describe the goals of heart failure pharmacotherapy and the importance of medication adherence.
Explain the mechanisms and clinical benefits of ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and ARNIs in heart failure.
Describe how beta blockers reduce cardiac workload and mortality in heart failure.
Identify the role of diuretics in managing fluid congestion in heart failure.
Explain how MRAs reduce aldosterone-driven cardiac remodelling.
Describe the cardiovascular and renal benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors in heart failure.
Explain how sinus node inhibitors reduce heart rate and improve exercise tolerance in heart failure.