The acute effect of perindopril upon effort capacity in congestive heart failure

A number of 21 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) of various etiologies were studied. All patients were subjected to a classical exercise testing (ET) on cycloergometer. The ET was repeated 24 hrs later, 6 hrs after the administration of 2 mg Perindopril (Coversyl). No statistically significant differences in duration and intensity of ET before and after Perindopril were noted for the whole group. But in 9 patients (42.8%) at least one effort level was gained. In these patients the peak double product (DP) was similar before and after Perindopril, but at submaximal effort DP was, at each level, lesser after Perindopril, suggesting a mechanism of afterload reduction in the improvement of effort capacity.