Effects of long-term medication for essential hypertension on cardiac hypertrophy and function.
The effects of long-term treatment of hypertensive patients with alacepril (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) on cardiac mass and function were investigated. A total of 12 patients was examined. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly reduced by treatment with alacepril for 1 year. Left ventricular mass, as estimated by echocardiography, was significantly decreased by alacepril treatment, although electrocardiographic and chest x-ray findings were not significantly altered. Cardiac pump function, which was also assessed by echocardiography, was not changed. These results indicate that long-term treatment of hypertension with alacepril induces regression of cardiac hypertrophy without any change in cardiac contractile function.
Takeda
N
N
Department of Internal Medicine, Aoto Hospital, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Nakamura
I
I
Hatanaka
T
T
Iwai
T
T
Tanamura
A
A
Obara
Y
Y
Nagano
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002216:Captopril / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects*
D002216:Captopril; C046835:alacepril