Digitalis Therapy in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

Herbal Medicine, sometimes referred to as Herbalism or Botanical Medicine, is the use of herbs for their therapeutic or medicinal value. An herb is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, aromatic or savory qualities. Herb plants produce and contain a variety of chemical substances that act upon the body. The term digitalis or digitalis compounds are all used to refer to the entire group of inotropic (or drugs that increase myocaridal contractility). All glycosides have a shared structure of: an aglycone ring structure. The aglycone ring is where the pharmacological activity is found. The main use of Digitalis Purpurea today is as a effective way of treating congestive heart failure. As a group they are classified as cardiac inotropes. Cardiac, of course, refers to the heart. An inotrope is a substance that has a direct effect on muscle contraction. Positive inotropism is an increase in the speed and strength of muscle contraction, while negative inotropism is the opposite. Digitalis has a positive inotropic effect on the heart muscle. During the early 20th century, the drug was introduced as treatment of atrial fibrillation. Only subsequently was the value of digitalis for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) established.