title: [ACE inhibitors and heart failure].
abstract: ACE-inhibitors have been shown to have considerable therapeutic effectiveness in the treatment of heart failure and to be able to significantly prolong the survival of treated patients. The benefits of these drugs when used in the treatment of heart failure are due to their vasodilator action on both arterial and venous vessels. An even more relevant mechanism might be the modulation of some neuro-endocrine responses induced by heart failure, such as angiotensin-aldosterone production, which are sometimes excessive or harmful. The molecules presently available in Italy are four (captopril, enalapril, lisinopril, quinapril), endowed with considerably different pharmacological characteristics, but substantially similar as far as effectiveness and tolerability are concerned. Although general guidelines cannot be suggested on the basis of the pharmacological profile alone, the choice of the drug to be used in every single patient with heart failure should be made taking into account the adequacy of the pharmacological properties for the specific situation.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Bologna, Istituto di Patologia Speciale Medica e Metodologia Clinica.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franchi
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Puddu
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002216:Captopril / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004656:Enalapril / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017706:Lisinopril; D000077583:Quinapril; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D007546:Isoquinolines; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D004656:Enalapril; D002216:Captopril; D017706:Lisinopril; D000077583:Quinapril
vernacular_title: ACE-inibitori e scompenso cardiaco.