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Medications are the backbone of cardiomyopathy treatment to help you feel better and live longer. Your healthcare team will work with you to optimize your regimen; you play a key role by sticking with your medications and reporting any side effects that arise.

Common classes of medications used across the types of cardiomyopathy include:

• Medications that reduce strain on the heart and improve blood flow by lowering blood pressure and reducing neurohormonal activation, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and beta-blockers

• Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a class of drugs originally used to treat diabetes but which target cardiometabolic conditions through a variety of mechanisms and have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure

• Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibition with sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto), which combines an ARB with another class of medication that act on blood vessels to inhibit constriction and promote dilation

• Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and other diuretics to reduce fluid retention that strains the heart and can make it difficult to breathe

• Medications that control the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat

• Blood thinners to reduce risk of blood clots

It's important to talk with your healthcare team before stopping any medication on your own or deciding to skip doses to save money. One of heart failure patients showed that people who took less than 80% of their pills were twice as likely to die or have a heart failure hospitalization over the course of about 1 year. If side effects or cost issues do arise, other treatment options can be discussed.

Adhering to your medication regimen is the best way to get the health benefits from them and can even result in substantial improvements in heart function for some patients. Consider putting in place systems to help you remember to take your medications on time. Pillboxes and smartphone app reminders can help. If your insurance provider allows mail order delivery, request a 90-day supply of medication to reduce barriers to filling your prescriptions. Another option may be to schedule all your refills for the same time each month at the same pharmacy, which will allow you to make a single trip to pick them up.

Read previous installments in this series:

Understanding Your Diagnosis of Cardiomyopathy

What to Expect When Your Doctor Suspects Cardiomyopathy

How to Prepare for Your Cardiomyopathy Appointment

Should My Family Be Checked for Cardiomyopathy Too?

Maximizing Your Wellness With Cardiomyopathy

Coping With a Difficult Diagnosis

"Medical Journeys" is a set of clinical resources reviewed by doctors, meant for physicians and other healthcare professionals as well as the patients they serve. Each episode of this 12-part journey through a disease state contains both a physician guide and a downloadable/printable patient resource. "Medical Journeys" chart a path each step of the way for physicians and patients and provide continual resources and support, as the caregiver team navigates the course of a disease.