Heart failure is a condition where the heart cannot pump blood as efficiently as it should, leading to symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, and fluid retention. Managing heart failure often involves a combination of medications that help improve heart function and reduce symptoms. One such medication is Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan). This article will explain how Entresto works, why it might be needed for heart failure, and how it can help improve heart function.

 What is Entresto?

Entresto is a combination medication that includes two active ingredients: sacubitril and valsartan.

• Sacubitril:  This component is a neprilysin inhibitor. Neprilysin is an enzyme that breaks down beneficial peptides in the body that help relax blood vessels, reduce sodium retention, and decrease strain on the heart.

• Valsartan:  This component is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). It blocks the effects of angiotensin II, a hormone that narrows blood vessels and raises blood pressure. By blocking this hormone, valsartan helps relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure.

 How Entresto Works

• Enhancing Beneficial Peptides: 
• Sacubitril inhibits neprilysin, which increases the levels of natriuretic peptides. These peptides help dilate blood vessels, reduce sodium retention, and decrease blood pressure, easing the workload on the heart.
• By preventing the breakdown of these peptides, sacubitril helps enhance their beneficial effects, leading to improved heart function and reduced symptoms of heart failure.

• Blocking Harmful Hormones: 
•  Valsartan blocks the effects of angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict and raises blood pressure. By blocking this hormone, valsartan helps relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the strain on the heart.
• This combination of blocking harmful effects while enhancing beneficial ones provides a comprehensive approach to managing heart failure.

 Why Entresto Might Be Needed

• Persistent Symptoms Despite Standard Therapy: 
• Some patients continue to experience significant symptoms of heart failure despite taking other medications, such as ACE inhibitors or ARBs alone. Entresto offers an alternative that combines the benefits of neprilysin inhibition and angiotensin II blockade, providing more effective symptom relief.

• Improving Outcomes: 
• Clinical studies have shown that Entresto significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death compared to traditional therapies. For patients with a high risk of these outcomes, Entresto can provide crucial benefits.

• Comprehensive Treatment: 
• Heart failure often involves complex interactions between various hormones and signaling pathways. Entresto's dual action addresses multiple aspects of heart failure pathophysiology, offering a more comprehensive treatment option.

 How Entresto Can Help Heart Function

• Improved Heart Efficiency: 
• By enhancing beneficial peptides and blocking harmful hormones, Entresto helps the heart pump blood more effectively. This improves cardiac output and reduces the symptoms of heart failure, such as shortness of breath and fatigue.

• Reduced Fluid Retention: 
• Entresto helps reduce sodium retention and fluid buildup, alleviating swelling in the legs, ankles, and abdomen, and reducing the sensation of breathlessness.

• Lower Blood Pressure: 
• By relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure, Entresto reduces the workload on the heart. This allows the heart to function more efficiently and prevents further damage to the heart muscle.

• Decreased Hospitalizations: 
•  Patients taking Entresto often experience fewer hospitalizations for heart failure exacerbations. This is because the medication helps maintain a more stable heart condition, reducing the frequency and severity of heart failure episodes.

• Improved Survival Rates: 
• Clinical trials have shown that Entresto significantly improves survival rates in heart failure patients. By addressing both the mechanical and hormonal aspects of heart failure, Entresto provides comprehensive protection and support for the heart.

Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) is a powerful medication for managing heart failure. By enhancing beneficial peptides and blocking harmful hormones, Entresto improves heart function, reduces symptoms, and lowers the risk of hospitalization and death. If you have heart failure and think you might benefit from Entresto, discuss it with your healthcare provider to see if this treatment is right for you. With the right management plan, many patients with heart failure can lead more active and fulfilling lives.