[Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Familiar drugs--new indications]

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) have become an important part in the pharmacotherapy of hypertension, in this indication they were used for the first time in the eighties. Later the indication was extended to heart failure (where they evidently reduce the mortality), acute myocardial infarction (there they prevent cardiac remodelling), and in myocarditis (vasodilatation, effect on spasms and on free oxygen radicals). As to non-cardiological indications the most important indications are nephrological-diabetic and non-diabetic nephropathies. Nowadays already different types of ACE inhibitors are available. They differ as to their chemical structure (they contain a sulphydryl or carboxyl group in the molecule, they are proline derivatives etc.) as well as by other properties (lipophilia, specificity, absorption rate, period of action). The authors gives a list of preparations encountered most frequently on our market and they discuss non obvious indications.