Which medications are used to enhance heart contractility?

The correct choice of Digitalis and Digoxin highlights their role as inotropic agents, which specifically enhance heart contractility. Both Digitalis and Digoxin are derived from the foxglove plant and are utilized primarily in clinical settings to treat conditions such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation. They exert their effects by increasing intracellular calcium levels in cardiac myocytes, thereby improving contractile function. This increased calcium availability allows for a more forceful contraction of the heart muscle, ultimately improving cardiac output and alleviating symptoms associated with heart failure.

In contrast, the other options have different therapeutic roles. Beta-blockers primarily work by reducing heart rate and contractility through antagonism of beta-adrenergic receptors, which can be beneficial in conditions where decreased heart workload is desired. ACE inhibitors play a key role in lowering blood pressure and reducing strain on the heart by inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme, thus they do not directly enhance contractility. Calcium channel blockers affect the influx of calcium ions into the heart muscle as well, but their primary function is usually to decrease heart rate and contractility in conditions like hypertension and arrhythmias rather than enhancing contractility.

This establishes why Digitalis and Digoxin are the appropriate choice for enhancing heart contractility