Digoxin has fallen out of favour for the vast majority of patients: one of the first drugs developed for humans by William Withering (IIRC) 200 odd years ago if my pharmacology lectures haven't completely left my head.
Apparently people with 'dropsy' (heart failure where the heart can't pump enough blood to supply all the organs) used to take foxglove (digitalis sp.) potion to help - turns out it does have a beneficial effect on symptoms but can be toxic and doesn't improve survival.
When I was a young 'un in the same lectures we were also told never to use betablockers on patients with heart failure as they slowed the heart down and weakened its pumping effect.
20 years later what drugs do you think are now being shown to improve symptoms and extend survival in ther same patients? That's right: betablockers!
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