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Query: UMLS:C0018801 (heart failure)
72,216 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are of proven value in patients with severe chronic heart failure (CHF). Studies of the effects of ACE inhibitors on exercise capacity and quality of life in mild CHF have produced conflicting results. We have studied the effects of quinapril, a new ACE inhibitor with a relatively short plasma half-life, in mild CHF. Once daily (o.d.) dosing was compared with twice daily (b.i.d.) dosing in a three-way cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-two patients (two female), mean age 59 (range 32-76) years were enrolled in three cardiology centres in the U.K. in 29 patients, and non-ischaemic in three. The mean (range) radionuclide ejection fraction was 20.4% (8%-47%). Following full familiarization with the protocol, the treadmill exercise time (modified Bruce protocol) was determined for each patient during a placebo run-in phase, and at the end of each of three 8-week double-blind treatment phases with quinapril o.d., quinapril b.i.d. (maximal total daily dose 20 mg) and placebo. Three patients were withdrawn due to adverse events while receiving quinapril (unstable angina, exacerbation of CHF and arrhythmia); there were no deaths and no patient was withdrawn due to hypotension. Mean exercise time (the primary end-point) was 65 s and 53 s longer in patients receiving quinapril o.d. and b.i.d. respectively compared to placebo (both P < 0.01, ANOVA). There was no significant period effect during the trial and no significant difference between the two quinapril dosing regimens. Quinapril had no significant effect on secondary end-points including ejection fraction, functional class and quality of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:A multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of quinapril in mild, chronic heart failure. 845 62

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (CEI) are logically proposed for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure because of their effect on reducing arteriol resistance. When administered early after myocardial infarction, CEI reduce mortality, particularly patients with severely deteriorated myocardium. Up to 74 lives can be saved for every 1000 patients treated. This beneficial effect is additive with that resulting from aspirin, beta-blockers and fibrinolysis. The effect occurs within the first month of treatment if initiated within the first 24 hours following the infarction, and persists even if treatment is discontinued. Tolerance is generally good, but dosage must be adapted in case of hypotension or temporary renal failure. Macroproteinuric nephropathy in insulin-dependent-diabetes is another indication for CEI. Captopril and enalapril have been shown to slow progression of renal failure and decrease the risk of death and of chronic dialysis. Further studies are being conducted to determine the effect of CEI in non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Finally, experimental arguments suggest that atherosclerosis is partly dependent on the renin/angiotensin system and that CEI might inhibit its development. Most clinical trials evaluating the action of CEI on atheromatosis have studied the effect in the carotid and coronary arteries.
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PMID:[Enzyme converting inhibitors. Current knowledge and perspectives]. 854 40

1. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are in common use for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. Whereas they are, in general, well tolerated, a dry cough can develop which, on occasion, requires termination of therapy. The reported prevalence of cough with ACE inhibitor therapy has varied from 0.2 to 25%, depending upon methods of data collection, analysis and symptom reporting. 2. To evaluate the prevalence of cough in Chinese patients receiving ACE inhibitors, interviews were carried out in 191 patients in Hong Kong who were taking therapy which included captopril or enalapril for hypertension or heart failure, and 382 patients matched for sex and age receiving alternative medications which excluded an ACE inhibitor (controls). Patients and controls were interviewed in a blinded manner by the same interviewer using a common adverse-effect questionnaire. 3. Persistent cough was reported in 44% of patients taking an ACE inhibitor (46% of those receiving captopril and 41.8% of patients taking enalapril), and in 11.1% of the controls (P < 0.001). The prevalence of other adverse reactions was similar, with no significant difference between the two treatment groups. The complication of cough was not related significantly to age, sex, underlying disease, drug dosage or smoking status. 4. This study indicates that cough is a common side effect of treatment with ACE inhibitors in Hong Kong Chinese, although in most patients cessation of therapy is not required. Whether Chinese are particularly susceptible to ACE-inhibitor cough requires a formal prospective study comparing Chinese and non-Chinese patients.
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PMID:High prevalence of persistent cough with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in Chinese. 856 96

High blood pressure (BP) in the elderly must not be ignored as a normal consequence of aging. The criteria for the diagnosis of hypertension and the necessity to treat it are the same in elderly and younger patients. The aim of treatment of elderly hypertensive patients is to decrease BP safely and to reduce risk factors associated with cerebrovascular, cardiovascular and renal morbidity and mortality. The treatment of elderly hypertensive patients should be adjusted according to the needs of the individual, based upon age, race, severity of hypertension, co-existing medical problems, other cardiovascular risk factors, target-organ damage, risk-benefit considerations and costs. In addition to the elevated BP, other cardiovascular risk factors include smoking, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinaemia, dyslipidaemia, hypercreatininaemia, peripheral vascular disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, and microalbuminuria (or albuminuria). Thus, the choice of initial antihypertensive therapy in elderly hypertensive patients should be based not only on the expected response, but also on the effects of therapy on lipid, potassium, glucose and uric acid levels, and left ventricular anatomy and function. Co-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, renal failure, gout, coronary artery disease, hyperlipidaemia and peripheral vascular disease) are major determinants for the selection of antihypertensive medications. With previous therapies (diuretics, beta-blockers, etc.), good BP control in the elderly was associated with clear and statistically significant reductions in stroke-related morbidity and mortality, but the overall effects on cardiovascular and renal complications of hypertension was either more variable or less obvious. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are not only efficacious antihypertensive agents in the elderly, but also appear promising in counteracting some of the cardiovascular and renal consequences of hypertension. They are well tolerated and have a relatively low incidence of adverse effects. ACE inhibitors possess ancillary characteristics that are potentially beneficial for many elderly patients, including reduction of left ventricular mass, lack of metabolic and lipid disturbances, no adverse CNS effects, no risk of induction of heart failure, and a low risk of orthostatic hypotension. Since ACE inhibitors may improve perfusion to the heart, kidney and brain, they are well worth considering for the treatment of elderly patients with hypertensive target organ damage, especially in patients with heart failure, and diabetic patients with early nephropathy.
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PMID:ACE inhibitors. Differential use in elderly patients with hypertension. 857 91

Angiotensin II (Ang II) raises blood pressure (BP) by a number of actions, the most important ones being vasoconstriction, sympathetic nervous stimulation, increased aldosterone biosynthesis and renal actions. Other Ang II actions include induction of growth, cell migration, and mitosis of vascular smooth muscle cells, increased synthesis of collagen type I and III in fibroblasts, leading to thickening of the vascular wall and myocardium, and fibrosis. These actions are mediated by type 1 Ang II receptors (AT1), and may be blocked by losartan, a specific blocker of AT1 receptors. In particular, studies employing losartan have shown that Ang II is an important contributor to BP regulation and plays a significant role in hypertension and in the pathophysiology of vascular damage during the course of hypertension. Ang II is also involved in the process of atherosclerosis and in remodelling and repair processes of the myocardium following myocardial infarction. Finally, increased Ang II is an important part of neurohumoral activation in heart failure. Exciting new discoveries concerned with polymorphisms of genes coding for angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensinogen suggest that Ang II may be genetically associated with increased risk for myocardial infarction, hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy.
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PMID:Role of angiotensin II in blood pressure regulation and in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disorders. 858 76

So far, two angiotensin receptor subtypes, called AT1 and AT2, have been described in an animal model and in human. AT1 mediates almost all known effects of angiotensin II and its gene sequence and regulation is well studied. In contrast, only few data on function and regulation of AT2 are available. The complete mRNA sequence of AT2 has only recently been cloned and sequenced. The angiotensin receptors' receptor density and subtype distribution is organ specific. In the rat, lowest densities are found in the myocardium, followed by kidney, liver, adrenal medulla and cortex. The percentage of AT1 in the different organs amounts to 80, 85, 90, 57 and 10%. Angiotensin receptor subtypes have also been quantitated in human myocardium. There, the relatively unknown subtype AT2 dominates (67%). Myocardial receptor density is low, amounting to about 11 fmol/mg protein corresponding to 1/20-1/50 of the density of beta-adrenergic receptors. Angiotensin receptors in the human heart are present on cardiac fibroblasts and induce proliferation of these cells. Blockade of the renin angiotensin system by ACEI and AT1 antagonists in the rat downregulates angiotensin receptors in liver, kidney and adrenals to about 50% in an organ- and subtype specific manner, whereas cyclosporin A upregulates receptors twice. In end-stage human heart failure, but not in early stages, angiotensin receptors are downregulated to 1/3 of control values. Regulator mechanisms at transcriptional level have been elucidated by reporter gene assays; PMA, an activator of proteinkinase C, stimulates the transcription of the AT1 gene. The organ- and subtypespecific regulation of angiotensin receptors by pharmacological agents and/or cardiovascular diseases can contribute to the understanding of these drugs and of the pathophysiology of the corresponding diseases.
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PMID:[Angiotensin receptors--organ and subtype specific regulation in cardiovascular diseases by modulation of the renin-angiotensin system. Studies of the rat model and in human myocardium]. 858 75

The influence of heart failure on the process of cell communication was investigated in cell pairs isolated from the ventricle of cardiomyopathic hamsters (11 months old) and the results compared with age-matched normal hamsters. The gap junctional conductance (gj) was measured with two voltage-clamp amplifiers. The results showed two major populations of cell pairs with respect to gj values: one with very low values (0.8 to 2.5 nS) and the other with higher values (7 to 35 nS). In normal hamsters, the most frequent gj values were in the range of 40 to 100 nS. Angiotensin II (Ang 11, 1 microg/mL) caused cell uncoupling in myopathic myocytes with low gj but reduced gj by 53 +/- 6.6 percent (+/- SE) in cell pairs with higher gj values (7 to 35 nS). The effect of Ang II on gj of myopathic cell pairs was suppressed by losartan (10(-7) mol/L). In cardiomyopathic cell pairs with low gj (0.8 to 2.5 nS), enalapril (1 microg/mL) caused an appreciable increase in gj (219 +/- 20.3 percent), whereas in cell pairs with higher gj (7 to 35 nS), the gj increment was smaller (80 +/- 10.8 percent) but still larger than that seen in controls (33 +/- 5.4 percent). Intracellular dialysis of Ang I (10(-8) mol/L) abolished cell communication in myopathic cell pairs with low gj (0.8 to 2.5 nS) and reduced gj by 66 +/- 1.7 percent in the other pairs (7 to 35 nS). The effect of Ang I on gj was greatly reduced by enalaprilat (10(-9) mol/L) added to the cytosol. Dialysis of Ang II (10(-8) mol/L) into the myopathic cell reduced gj by 48 +/- 4.2 percent, an effect abolished by losartan (10(-8) mol/L). The results indicate that the decline in gj seen in the ventricle of cardiomyopathic hamsters is in part due to activation of the cardiac renin-angiotensin system.
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PMID:Renin-angiotensin system and cell communication in the failing heart. 864 34

The renin-angiotensin system regulates normal cardiovascular homeostasis and is activated in certain forms of hypertension and in heart failure. Angiotensin II has multiple physiological effects and we have shown recently that its growth-promoting effects on vascular smooth muscle require autocrine activation of the IGF I receptor. To study the effect of angiotensin II on circulating IGF I, we infused rats with 500 ng/kg/min angiotensin II for up to 14 d. Angiotensin II markedly reduced plasma IGF I levels (56 and 41% decrease at 1 and 2 wk, respectively) and IGF binding protein-3 levels, and increased IGF binding protein-2 levels, a pattern suggestive of dietary restriction. Compared with sham, angiotensin II-infused hypertensive rats lost 18-26% of body weight by 1 wk, and pair-feeding experiments indicated that 74% of this loss was attributable to a reduction in food intake. The vasodilator hydralazine and the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan had comparable effects to reverse angiotensin II-induced hypertension, but only losartan blocked the changes in body weight and in circulating IGF I and its binding proteins produced by angiotensin II. Moreover, in Dahl rats that were hypertensive in response to a high-salt diet, none of these changes occurred. Thus, angiotensin II produces weight loss through a pressor-independent mechanism that includes a marked anorexigenic effect and an additional (likely metabolic) effect. These findings have profound implications for understanding the pathophysiology of conditions, such as congestive heart failure, in which the renin-angiotensin system is activated.
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PMID:Angiotensin II causes weight loss and decreases circulating insulin-like growth factor I in rats through a pressor-independent mechanism. 864 43

Heart failure is a severe, disabling disease that portends a short life expectancy. This grave prognosis may be explained by growth-promoting effects of angiotensin II implicated in heart failure that mediate a genetic response called programmed cell death. The effects of angiotensin II are inhibited by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which improve exercise performance and quality of life, attenuate disease progression, and modestly lengthen survival. Unfortunately, mortality remains exceedingly high and may be partly attributable to augmented production of angiotensin II from a non-ACE chymase pathway. Angiotensin II production may therefore increase despite treatment with ACE inhibitors. The angiotensin II receptor antagonists are a new class of nonpeptide-reversible inhibitors that may offer clinical promise in heart failure through blockade of angiotensin II actions, whether produced from ACE or non-ACE chymase pathways.
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PMID:Angiotensin II receptor blockers: novel therapy for heart failure? 866 7

Considerable progress has been made in the medical treatment of chronic heart failure. A large number of patients with NYHA class II and III heart disease can be improved to class I and II. Treatment is maintained on an outpatient basis in order to prevent episodes of acute failure, while avoiding the adverse effects of drugs at high doses or in combination. Diuretics are still the drug class most frequently prescribed, especially loop diuretics (furosemide) which have the advantage of being able to be used in patients with renal failure. Aldosterone antagonists have the pathophysiological value of reducing the development of myocardial fibrosis. Digitalis alkaloids have a positive inotropic effect, which is even observed in the presence of sinus rhythm and which is associated with slowing of the heart rate in tachyarrhythmias. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors are among the most recently used drugs. They decrease the left ventricular post-load and prevent activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors cannot be administered orally in the long-term and are therefore not suitable for outpatient treatment. However, they are very effective by intravenous injection during the acute phase of heart failure and cardiogenic shock in hospital.
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PMID:[Ambulatory treatment of chronic cardiac insufficiency]. 866


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