For managing chronic heart failure, what is a primary therapeutic effect of beta-blockers?

In the management of chronic heart failure, a primary therapeutic effect of beta-blockers is the reduction of heart rate. By blocking the beta-adrenergic receptors, these medications help to decrease the heart's workload and oxygen demand, leading to improved heart efficiency. Slower heart rates allow the heart to fill more effectively between beats, which is particularly beneficial for patients with heart failure.

Reducing heart rate also helps to alleviate symptoms of heart failure, such as fatigue and exercise intolerance. Furthermore, consistent use of beta-blockers in patients with heart failure has been shown to improve overall survival rates and reduce hospitalizations.

Other choices, such as increasing blood volume or enhancing myocardial contractility, do not describe the effective mechanisms of beta-blockers; instead, those effects are typically associated with different drug classes used in heart failure management.