Heart failure (HF) is characterised by exercise intolerance, which substantially impairs quality of life (QOL) and prognosis. The aim of this review is to summarise the state of the art on pharmacological interventions that are able to improve exercise capacity in HF. Ivabradine, trimetazidine and intravenous iron are the only drugs included in the European Society of Cardiology HF guidelines that have consistently been shown to positively affect functional capacity in HF. The beneficial effects on HF symptoms, physical performance and QOL using these pharmacological approaches are described.
Keywords: Exercise tolerance; heart failure; intravenous iron; ivabradine; trimetazidine.