title: Improvement of coronary flow reserve after long-term therapy with enalapril.
abstract: To date, no clinical study shows an improvement in coronary flow reserve due to long-term antihypertensive therapy. in view of the contribution of the renin-angiotensin system to the process of hypertensive remodeling of the heart and coronary circulation, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors might act as cardioreparative drugs in arterial hypertension. Accordingly, our objective in this investigation was to examine under clinical conditions to what extent long-term antihypertensive treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor improved the diminished coronary flow reserve in hypertensive patients with microvascular angina pectoris. For the purpose of comparison, we also treated a normotensive control group of 6 patients with hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy. Fifteen hypertensive individuals (10 men, 5 women; age, 58 +/- 6 years) were treated with enalapril (10 to 20 mg/d; mean, 16.7 +/- 4.9 mg/d) for 11 to 13 months. At the end of the treatment period, systolic pressure decreased from 178 +/- 14 to 137 +/- 12 mm Hg and diastolic pressure from 102 +/- 11 to 86 +/- 4 mm Hg under ambulatory conditions. Left ventricular muscle mass index decreased by 8%, from 149 +/- 32 to 137 +/- 28 g/m2 (P < .05). Maximal coronary blood flow after dipyridamole was increased by 43%, from 181 +/- 69 to 258 +/- 116 mL/min per 100 g (P < .001), and minimal coronary vascular resistance was diminished by 29%, from 0.66 +/- 0.23 to 0.47 +/- 0.24 mm Hg x min x 100g x mL-1 (P < .001) after enalapril treatment. Consequently, the calculated coronary reserve increased from 2.2 +/- 0.6 to 3.3 +/- 1.2 (P < .001). After enalapril therapy, the functional class of angina pectoris according to the Canadian classification system had changed from 2.5 +/- 0.6 to 1.5 +/- 0.6 (P < .01). The maximal working capacity had increased from 23.775 +/- 3.970 to 26.255 +/- 4.598 J (mean +/- SE, P < .05). The maximal ST-segment depression at maximal work-load was reduced from 0.18 +/- 0.02 to 0.06 +/- 0.02 (mean +/- SE, (P < .01). In summary, long-term therapy with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril must be considered a cardioreparative treatment with respect to the coronary microcirculation in hypertensive heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald, FRG.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Motz
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Strauer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004656:Enalapril / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004176:Dipyridamole; D004656:Enalapril