Perindopril treatment for congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the most common and lethal consequence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with a prevalence estimated betwee n 1% and 10%, and very high associated mortality. Preventing the continued progression of established heart failure and improving the prognosis for pa tients with this disease is difficult, but angiotensin-converting enzyme (A CE) inhibitors have been shown to be effective in reducing mortality in pat ients with CHF. In a review of the worldwide literature of the efficacy and safety of perindopril erbumine for the treatment of patients with CHF, onc e-daily treatment with this ACE inhibitor was shown to be effective in pati ents with CHF of all severities. Its use is associated with a low risk of f irst-dose hypotension and no unwanted effects on blood pressure in normoten sive patients. Perindopril also improves arterial compliance and reverses l eft ventricular hypertrophy in patients with hypertension. It is well toler ated and has no significant effects on heart rate, indexes of renal functio n, or plasma lipid profile. It also has no clinically significant interacti ons with other drugs, including digoxin, likely to be taken by patients wit h CHF. (C) 2001 by Excerpto Medica, Inc.