title: [Differential therapeutic topics in antihypertensive therapy. What can angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors accomplish?].
abstract: The results of large epidemiological studies dealing with the prognosis and unfavourable outcome of essential hypertension, clearly show that the pharmacological reduction of the elevated blood pressure of hypertensive patients significantly reduces the risk of at least some major cardiovascular complications. Satisfactory antihypertensive efficacy reflects, nevertheless, merely a minimal requirement for a modern antihypertensive drug. Additional pharmacological properties, which counteract the typical concomitant diseases like CHD, heart failure and other cardiovascular complications would be desirable. In this respect, the oral CE-inhibitors captopril and enalapril offer an exciting new approach to the treatment of arterial hypertension. As the most predictive international studies on prevention of hypertension were conducted before CE-inhibitors were available, the present review evaluates the pharmacological profile of this new class of antihypertensive compounds in the light of previously available baseline drugs, including the calcium channel antagonists. Until now, captopril and enalapril have been the best investigated and documented representatives. Besides new experimental results concerning the molecular mechanism of these drugs, clinical and experimental approaches to verify protective effects on the cardiovascular and the renal system are addressed. These offer a rational basis for the preferential treatment of hypertensive patients with reduced renal function, diabetes and chronic heart failure. In addition, some distinct advantages of enalapril over captopril, resulting mainly from the long-term reduction of high blood pressure, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmakologie, Universität Düsseldorf.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noack
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002216:Captopril / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004656:Enalapril / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D004656:Enalapril; D002216:Captopril
vernacular_title: Differentialtherapeutische Gesichtspunkte bei der antihypertensiven Therapie. Was leisten die CE-Hemmer?