title: Effects of a long-term treatment with alacepril on left ventricular hypertrophy and function in patients with essential hypertension.
abstract: 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 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 less than .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/m2 (P less than .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 less than .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.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiwada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002216:Captopril / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002216:Captopril; C046835:alacepril