Vasodilators for Heart Failure

Vasodilators work on different substances in the body to help widen (dilate) blood vessels. It is easier for the heart to pump blood if the blood vessels are widened.

Vasodilators can improve heart failure symptoms by:

• Dilating coronary arteries. This can help more blood reach your heart muscle.
• Dilating leg veins. This can lower the amount of blood returning to the heart and limit the buildup of fluid in your lungs.
• Dilating systemic arteries. Systemic arteries are blood vessels that carry blood to the rest of the body (excluding the heart and lungs). By dilating these arteries, vasodilators may relieve some of the work your heart needs to do.
• Dilating pulmonary arteries. Dilating the arteries of the lungs (pulmonary arteries) also reduces the amount of work your heart needs to do.

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