Improvement of cardiac function by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition. Sites of action.

Abstract

Promising experimental data regarding the antiproliferative effects of ACE inhibitors in preventing restenosis could not be transferred into clinical benefits for patients who underwent repeat coronary angioplasty. Possible antiarrhythmic effects of ACE inhibitors are not likely to be caused by their suppression of noradrenaline release during myocardial ischemia. ACE inhibition was effective in reducing coronary resistance in patients with severe heart failure, thereby augmenting nutritional cardiac blood flow. ACE inhibition also effectively induced a regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in essential hypertension. The associated normalization of diastolic filling pattern may represent an important goal in the treatment of hypertension.