The effect of combined Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and calcium antagonism on allograft coronary vasculopathy validated by intravascular ultrasound.
BACKGROUND
Hypertension is a potential risk factor for allograft coronary vasculopathy. We evaluated the efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and calcium antagonists, and their combined use, on the development of coronary vasculopathy in hypertensive heart transplant recipients.


METHODS
Eighty-two heart transplant recipients underwent serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analysis at baseline (within 1 month) and at 1 year after transplantation and were evaluated for the development of coronary vasculopathy. Patients were divided into 4 groups. Nineteen normotensive recipients received no treatment, control (Group A). Hypertensive patients were treated with either ACE inhibitors (Group B, n = 37), calcium antagonists (Group C, n = 16), or both (Group D, n = 10).


RESULTS
We found a significant reduction in IVUS indices of coronary vasculopathy in heart transplant recipients who used a combination of an ACE inhibitor and a calcium antagonist compared with recipients who used either drug alone (p < 0.05). This synergistic efficacy was independent of the baseline indices evaluated in a multivariate regression analysis model and was noted despite comparable mean arterial pressure among the 3 hypertensive groups at 1 year, thus suggesting the presence of a synergistic anti-proliferative effect beyond the anti-hypertensive efficacy.


CONCLUSIONS
The combined use of an ACE inhibitor and a calcium antagonist is more effective than the individual use of either drug alone on the development of coronary vasculopathy in cardiac transplant recipients. Large randomized clinical trials are warranted to evaluate such a synergistic efficacy.
Erinc
Kursad
K
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Kaufman Center for Heart Failure, OH 44195, USA.
Yamani
Mohamad H
MH
Starling
Randall C
RC
Crowe
Tim
T
Hobbs
Robert
R
Bott-Silverman
Corinne
C
Rincon
Gustavo
G
Young
James B
JB
Feng
Jingyuan
J
Cook
Daniel J
DJ
Smedira
Nicholas
N
Tuzcu
E Murat
EM
D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers