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Effects of a Long‐Term Treatment with Alacepril on Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Function in Patients with Essential Hypertension
Author(s) -
Sumimoto Takumi,
Ochi Takaaki,
Hiwada Kunio
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1992.tb05779.x
Subject(s) - essential hypertension , left ventricular hypertrophy , medicine , cardiology , muscle hypertrophy , term (time) , ventricular function , blood pressure , physics , quantum mechanics
The authors examined the effects of a long‐term treatment with the angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor, alacepril, with respect to the reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy and the improvement of left ventricular function. Ten uncomplicated essential hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, aged 53 ± 8 years, were treated with alacepril alone for 12 months. All patients underwent echocardiography to assess left ventricular dimensions and function before and after the treatment. After the treatment, blood pressure was decreased significantly from 163 ± 14.1/98 ± 4.2 to 142 ± 20.3/86 ± 11.0 mm Hg (each, P < .01), whereas heart rate did not change (66 ± 6 versus 69 ± 8 beats/min). The left ventricular mass index was decreased significantly from 146 ± 27 to 119 ± 29 g/m 2 (P < .01). Ejection fraction, fractional shortening, peak shortening rate, and peak lengthening rate all improved significantly after the treatment. There was a significant inverse relationship between fractional shortening and end‐systolic wall stress before the treatment (r = .63, P < .05), and this relationship did not change after the treatment. It is concluded that alacepril improved both left ventricular systolic and diastolic function without causing any consistent augmentation of left ventricular contractility.