The multifacetted role of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in congestive heart failure

The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors constitute a major breakthrough in the medical management of congestive heart failure. The incidence of side effects with these agents is surprisingly low when they are used in the appropriate dosage. They produce sustained beneficial hemodynamic an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American journal of the medical sciences Vol. 296; no. 4; p. 275
Main Author Firth, B G
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.10.1988
Subjects
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - therapeutic use
Digitalis
Exercise
Heart Failure - drug therapy
Hemodynamics - drug effects
Humans
Kidney - drug effects
Plants, Medicinal
Plants, Toxic
Vasodilator Agents - therapeutic use
Water-Electrolyte Balance
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Summary:The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors constitute a major breakthrough in the medical management of congestive heart failure. The incidence of side effects with these agents is surprisingly low when they are used in the appropriate dosage. They produce sustained beneficial hemodynamic and symptomatic improvement in most patients with congestive heart failure and may produce greater symptomatic benefit than digoxin when given as second-line therapy to patients with heart failure on diuretics. Their neurohumoral effects generally are advantageous, resulting in normalization of sodium and potassium balance and a reduction in ventricular arrhythmias. The ACE inhibitors may improve survival in patients with congestive heart failure, and recent data suggest that they may prevent or delay the development of left ventricular dilatation and overt heart failure in patients with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction.
ISSN:0002-9629