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Long-term captopril therapy for chronic congestive heart failure
The American Journal of Cardiology
|May 1, 1984
Summary
Long-term captopril therapy improved exercise tolerance and ejection fraction in congestive heart failure patients. While most showed benefits, individual responses to this angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor varied.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Short-term effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors like captopril in congestive heart failure (CHF) are known.
- Limited data exists on the long-term outcomes of captopril therapy in CHF patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term clinical and objective responses to captopril therapy in stable outpatients with CHF.
- To assess changes in exercise tolerance, ejection fraction (EF), and cardiothoracic ratio over an extended follow-up period.
Main Methods:
- 15 stable CHF outpatients received captopril therapy.
- Follow-up averaged 19 months (range 6-27 months).
- Serial clinical assessments, exercise tolerance tests, EF, and cardiothoracic ratio measurements were performed.
Main Results:
- Exercise tolerance significantly improved at 3 months and remained elevated long-term (p<0.05).
- Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) increased significantly and was sustained throughout follow-up (p<0.02).
- Cardiothoracic ratio decreased significantly and remained lower long-term (p<0.02), though individual variability was noted.
Conclusions:
- Long-term captopril therapy demonstrates sustained improvements in exercise capacity and cardiac function in CHF patients.
- While generally effective, individual patient responses to captopril can vary.
- Captopril therapy offers a beneficial long-term treatment option for managing congestive heart failure.