title: Attenuation of left ventricular dilatation after acute myocardial infarction by early initiation of enalapril therapy. CONSENSUS II Multi-Echo Study Group.
abstract: This trial investigated the effect of enalapril, administered early, on left ventricular (LV) volumes after myocardial infarction. Four hundred twenty-eight patients included in the Cooperative New Scandinavian Enalapril Survival Study (CONSENSUS II) were examined with echocardiography within 5 days, at 1 month and at 6 months after myocardial infarction. Enalaprilat (1 mg) or placebo infusion was initiated within 24 hours after infarction, followed by oral treatment to a target dose of 20 mg/day. A significant attenuation of LV dilatation was noted at 1 month in patients treated with enalapril compared with those receiving placebo. Changes in LV end-diastolic volume indexes during the first month were (mean +/- SEM) 5.7 +/- 1.0 ml/m2 for the placebo group and 1.9 +/- 0.8 ml/m2 for the enalapril group (p < 0.02). Changes in LV end-systolic volume indexes were 3.1 +/- 0.8 and 0.5 +/- 0.6 ml/m2, respectively (p < 0.02). The between-group difference was most marked in patients with anterior wall infarction (p < 0.005). Volume changes beyond the first month were similar in both groups but the differences observed at 1 month were maintained. The larger volumes in the placebo versus enalapril group were significant or borderline significant at 1 and 6 months. Thus, enalapril treatment initiated early after myocardial infarction and continued for 6 months can attenuate LV dilatation during the first month resulting in smaller LV volumes after 1 and 6 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Central Hospital in Rogaland, Stavanger, Norway.
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Bonarjee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carstensen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Caidahl
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berning
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004656:Enalapril / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004656:Enalapril