title: Congestive heart failure in elderly patients: controlled study of delapril versus captopril.
abstract: In this controlled trial, 30 elderly patients with congestive heart failure, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes II and III, were randomly assigned to treatment with captopril 25 mg three times daily or delapril 15 mg twice daily. At the end of an 8-week treatment period, clinical symptoms of heart failure were significantly relieved by both drugs, with a consistent and statistically significant improvement in patients' quality of life evaluated using a symptoms/activity scale (p < 0.001). None of the patients was judged NYHA class III at the end of the trial and 40% were assigned to class I (p < 0.01). There was a relevant, but not statistically significant, increase in exercise duration in both treatment groups (10% captopril group, 14% delapril group), but the number of patients discontinuing the exercise test for dyspnea was 50% less in the delapril group. Neither drug had evident effects on echocardiographic left ventricular parameters. Two patients treated with captopril and 3 with delapril complained of mild-to-moderate adverse reactions. The safety of both drugs was confirmed by laboratory tests.
authors.affiliation: Clinica del Lavoro Foundation, Institute of Care, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Acanfora
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lanzillo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Longobardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Furgi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rengo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Melillo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rengo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002216:Captopril / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D002216:Captopril; C047759:delapril