Cardiovascular Agents

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease still remains the nation's number one killer of men and women of all races, in spite of tremendous advances in basic and clinical research greatly helping to improve the prevention, treatment, and mortality of heart disease. It is estimated that ∼40% of Americans (∼60 million between the ages of 40–70) suffer from some degree of this disease. The problem of treating heart diseases has been at the forefront of the international medical community, and the cardiovascular drug market has been leading the drug discovery efforts in sales for the past two decades. A constant flow of new and effective drugs has kept this sector in its number one position and will continue to do so in the future. The development of unique, novel, and tissue specific cardiac drugs to replace or supplement existing therapies for various cardiac disorders continues to generate significant and growing attention. This has evolved hand‐in‐hand with research that has facilitated a better understanding of the underlying causes of cardiac disease states. The first draft of the human genome map is a turning point in the research for new medicines that will address the cause, versus the symptoms, of many human ailments including cardiovascular diseases. This article focuses on the review of past treatments, significant new developments, and future therapies for the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases. The article is divided into six sections: antiarrhythmic agents, antianginal agents, antihypertensive agents, antilipemic agents, antithrombolytic agents, and other therapeutics. Each section is further discussed in depth as per the classification of agents based upon their mechanism of action and clinical application. This article is designed primarily to serve the needs of a wide audience.