Ramipril for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of ramipril in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and determine its need for inclusion on a formulary. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE and PubMed database search was conducted (1987–May 2002). Only journals written in the English language were selected for review. DATA EXTRACTION AND STUDY SELECTION: Articles reporting the use of ramipril in humans were evaluated. Emphasis was placed on randomized, controlled trials assessing efficacy. DATA SYNTHESIS: Ramipril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor that exerts its effects through inhibition of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. It exhibits a safety profile that is similar to that of other ACE inhibitors and is comparable in cost to the majority of the available agents. Clinical trials have proven the effectiveness of ACE inhibitors in the treatment of hypertension, heart failure, and nephropathy. Ramipril, however, is the only ACE inhibitor currently approved for the prevention of cardiovascular events in high-risk patients without evidence of left-ventricular dysfunction or heart failure, based on the results of the HOPE (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation) trial. Whether this effect is specific to ramipril has yet to be proven. This article emphasizes the major trials involving ramipril including the AIRE (Acute Infarction Ramipril Efficacy), REIN (Ramipril Efficacy in Nephropathy), and HOPE trials. CONCLUSIONS: Although similar to other ACE inhibitors in many aspects, it cannot be assumed that the benefits shown with ramipril in the HOPE trial are a class effect. Ongoing trials should help to clarify this matter. Until this time, current evidence justifies the inclusion of ramipril on a formulary.

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Emerging Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy Indications

European Cardiology Review ◽

10.15420/ecr.2011.7.1.29 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 29

Author(s):

Charlotte Eitel ◽

Gerhard Hindricks ◽

Christopher Piorkowski ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Systolic Heart Failure ◽

Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Ejection ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Class Iii ◽

Ventricular Ejection Fraction ◽

Cardiac Resynchronisation ◽

Resynchronisation Therapy

Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) is an efficacious and cost-effective therapy in patients with highly symptomatic systolic heart failure and delayed ventricular conduction. Current guidelines recommend CRT as a class I indication for patients with sinus rhythm, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or ambulatory class IV, a QRS duration ≥120ms, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%, despite optimal pharmacological therapy. Recent trials resulted in an extension of current recommendations to patients with mild heart failure, patients with atrial fibrillation, and patients with an indication for permanent right ventricular pacing with the aim of morbidity reduction. The effectiveness of CRT in patients with narrow QRS, patients with end-stage heart failure and cardiogenic shock, and patients with an LVEF >35% still needs to be proved. This article reviews current evidence and clinical applications of CRT in heart failure and provides an outlook on future developments.

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Association of Lipoprotein (a) variants with risk of cardiovascular disease: a Mendelian randomization study

Lipids in Health and Disease ◽

10.1186/s12944-021-01482-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Juan Xia ◽

Chunyue Guo ◽

Kuo Liu ◽

Yunyi Xie ◽

Han Cao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Chinese Population ◽

Left Ventricular Mass Index ◽

Mendelian Randomization ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Han Chinese ◽

Han Chinese Population ◽

Internal Dimension

Abstract Background There is a well-documented empirical relationship between lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] and cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, causal evidence, especially from the Chinese population, is lacking. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the causal association between variants in genes affecting Lp(a) concentrations and CVD in people of Han Chinese ethnicity. Methods Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was used to assess the causal effect of Lp(a) concentrations on the risk of CVD. Summary statistics for Lp(a) variants were obtained from 1256 individuals in the Cohort Study on Chronic Disease of Communities Natural Population in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Data on associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and CVD were obtained from recently published genome-wide association studies. Results Thirteen SNPs associated with Lp(a) levels in the Han Chinese population were used as instrumental variables. Genetically elevated Lp(a) was inversely associated with the risk of atrial fibrillation [odds ratio (OR), 0.94; 95% confidence interval (95%CI), 0.901–0.987; P = 0.012)], the risk of arrhythmia (OR, 0.96; 95%CI, 0.941–0.990; P = 0.005), the left ventricular mass index (OR, 0.97; 95%CI, 0.949–1.000; P = 0.048), and the left ventricular internal dimension in diastole (OR, 0.97; 95%CI, 0.950–0.997; P = 0.028) according to the inverse-variance weighted method. No significant association was observed for congestive heart failure (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.950–1.038; P = 0.766), ischemic stroke (OR, 1.01; 95%CI, 0.981–1.046; P = 0.422), and left ventricular internal dimension in systole (OR, 0.98; 95%CI, 0.960–1.009; P = 0.214). Conclusions This study provided evidence that genetically elevated Lp(a) was inversely associated with atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia, the left ventricular mass index and the left ventricular internal dimension in diastole, but not with congestive heart failure, ischemic stroke, and the left ventricular internal dimension in systole in the Han Chinese population. Further research is needed to identify the mechanism underlying these results and determine whether genetically elevated Lp(a) increases the risk of coronary heart disease or other CVD subtypes.

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Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Dialysis Patients

10.2310/im.12060 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

John K. Roberts ◽

John P. Middleton

Keyword(s):

Myocardial Infarction ◽

Heart Failure ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽

Sudden Cardiac Death ◽

Cardiac Death ◽

Volume Overload ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Dialysis Patients ◽

Esrd Patients

Cardiovascular disease is a common cause of death and disease in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Registry data show that 41% of deaths in ESRD patients are due to a variety of cardiovascular causes, such as acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia/sudden cardiac death, and stroke. In the general population, each of these disease entities in isolation can be effectively managed according to evidence from large clinical trials and evidence-based guidelines. However, many of these trials did not include patients with ESRD, limiting the transferability of this evidence to the care of patients on dialysis. To complicate matters, cardiovascular events in ESRD patients are likely augmented from a unique interplay of cardiac risk due to both reduced kidney function and the necessity for artificial renal replacement therapies. In this light, the patient on dialysis is subjected to a series of unique factors: the continued presence of the metabolic perturbations of uremia and the peculiar environment of the dialysis treatment itself. Since the ESRD heart is under a considerable amount of strain due to chronic volume overload, rapid electrolyte and fluid shifts, and accelerated vascular calcification, management can be complex and outcomes multifactorial. In this review, we summarize the current evidence regarding management of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, and atrial fibrillation. We also address modifiable risk factors related to the dialysis procedure itself and highlight recent randomized controlled trials that included dialysis patients and measured important cardiovascular outcomes.

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Hyperuricemia and the Risk of Heart Failure: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Implications

Frontiers in Endocrinology ◽

10.3389/fendo.2021.770815 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Ke Si ◽

Chijing Wei ◽

Lili Xu ◽

Yue Zhou ◽

Wenshan Lv ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Vascular Inflammation ◽

Cardiovascular Effects ◽

Daily Practice ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Free Oxygen Radical ◽

Positive Role ◽

Therapeutic Implications

The association between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been reported and studied in the past two decades. Xanthine oxidase (XO) induced uric acid (UA) serves as a risk factor and has the independent prognostic and functional impact of heart failure (HF), but whether it plays a positive role in the pathogenesis of HF has remained unclear. Growing evidence suggest the up-regulated XO avtivity and increased production of free oxygen radical (ROS) correspondingly are the core pathogenesis of HF with hyperuricemia, which results in a whole cluster of pathophysiologic cardiovascular effects such as oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction as well as insulin resistance (IR). The use of XO inhibition represents a promising therapeutic choice in patients with HF due to its dual effect of lowering serum UA levels as well as reducing ROS production. This review will discuss the pathophysiologic mechanisms of hyperuricemia with HF, the targeted therapeutic interventions of UA lowering therapies (ULT) with XO inhibition and mechanism underlying beneficial effects of ULT. In addition, the review also summarizes current evidence on the role of ULT in HF and compares CV risk between allopurinol and febuxostat for practical and clinical purposes. Guidelines and implementation of CV risk management in daily practice will be discussed as well.

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Comparative Efficacy of Medical Treatments for Chronic Heart Failure: A Network Meta-Analysis

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine ◽

10.3389/fcvm.2021.787810 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Boyang Xiang ◽

Zongliang Yu ◽

Xiang Zhou

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Chronic Heart Failure ◽

Ejection Fraction ◽

Cardiovascular Mortality ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Ejection ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Angiotensin Receptor ◽

Medical Treatments

Background: The medical treatments of chronic heart failure have made remarkable progress in recent years. It is crucial to determine the optimal drug combination based on current evidence.Methods: A search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases was conducted for studies on angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs), sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers (BBs), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and ivabradine (IVA) between 1987 and 2021. The network meta-analysis was performed to compare the efficacy of drug therapies in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).Results: Forty-eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which overall included 68,074 patients with HF and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40%, were identified and included in the network meta-analysis. The efficacies of 13 intervention classes, including monotherapies or combinations of ACEI, ARB, ARNI, BB, MRA, SGLT2i, IVA, and placebo, on hospitalization for HF, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality were compared. Among the 13 included interventions, ARNI+BB+MRA, SGLT2i+ACEI+BB+MRA, and IVA+ACEI+BB+MRA were found to be best in terms of all three outcomes. Compared with placebo, these three drug combinations were associated with significant reductions in the risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization for HF.Conclusions: ARNI+BB+MRA, SGLT2i+ACEI+BB+MRA, and IVA+ACEI+BB+MRA were the top three therapies for patients with HFrEF. The increasing use of combinations of conventional and novel drugs contributed to progressive reductions in hospitalization and mortality in patients with HFrEF.

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Massage Therapy for Pulmonary Function in Patients Recovering From Covid-19: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-38936/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kelin Zhou ◽

Shuo Dong ◽

Guobing Fu ◽

Shusheng Cui ◽

Sheng Guo

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Pulmonary Function ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Massage Therapy ◽

Respiratory Illness ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Pubmed Database ◽

Tuina Therapy

Abstract Background:Starting in December 2019 in Wuhan (Hubei province, China), a novel coronavirus, designated SARS-CoV-2, has caused an international outbreak of a respiratory illness and rapidly evolved into a pandemic.Given the rapidly growing pandemic and the overwhelmedmedical system, the number of self‐quarantined and recovering patients is increasing.There is an urgentneed of alternative medicine to help patients relieve symptoms duringself‐quarantine, and possibly to help increase their chances of survivaland recovery from COVID-19.Massage (tuina) therapy is one of the widely employed complementary and alternative medicine interventions in the world.Long-term clinicalpractices and experiences have shown that massage therapy could significantly contribute to the healing of most respiratory conditions and lung disease.This systematic review and meta-analysis will summarize the current evidence of tuina (massage) used as an intervention for pulmonary function in COVID-19 recovering patients.Methods:We will search the following electronic databases for randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of massage therapy inimproving pulmonary function ofCOVID-19 recovering patients: Wanfang and Pubmed Database, CNKI, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE and MEDLINE. Each database will be searched from inception to June 2020. The entire process will include study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and meta-analyses.Discussion:This proposed systematic review will evaluate the existing evidence and explore the potential roleof massage therapyon the effectiveness and safety in pulmonary function of COVID-19 recovering patients.The outcomes will include the improvement of pulmonary function and adverse effect.PROSPERO registration number:CRD42020192107

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Epidemiology of Heart Failure Stages in Middle‐Aged Black People in the Community: Prevalence and Prognosis in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Journal of the American Heart Association ◽

10.1161/jaha.120.016524 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ramachandran S. Vasan ◽

Solomon K. Musani ◽

Kunihiro Matsushita ◽

Walter Beard ◽

Olushola B. Obafemi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Myocardial Infarction ◽

Heart Failure ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities ◽

Cardiovascular Morbidity And Mortality ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk

Background Black individuals have a higher burden of risk factors for heart failure (HF) and subclinical left ventricular remodeling. Methods and Results We evaluated 1871 Black participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study cohort who attended a routine examination (1993–1996, median age 58 years) when they underwent echocardiography. We estimated the prevalences of 4 HF stages: (1) Stage 0 : no risk factors; (2) Stage A : presence of HF risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease without clinical myocardial infarction), no cardiac structural/functional abnormality; (3) Stage B : presence of prior myocardial infarction, systolic dysfunction, left ventricular hypertrophy, regional wall motion abnormality, or left ventricular enlargement; and (4) Stage C/D : prevalent HF. We assessed the incidence of clinical HF, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events, and all‐cause mortality on follow‐up according to HF stage. The prevalence of HF Stages 0, A, B, and C/D were 3.8%, 20.6%, 67.0%, and 8.6%, respectively, at baseline. On follow‐up (median 19.0 years), 309 participants developed overt HF, 390 incurred new‐onset cardiovascular disease events, and 651 individuals died. Incidence rates per 1000 person‐years for overt HF, cardiovascular disease events, and death, respectively, were Stage 0, 2.4, 0.8, and 7.6; Stage A, 7.4, 9.7, and 13.5; Stage B 13.6, 15.9, and 22.0. Stage B HF was associated with a 1.5‐ to 2‐fold increased adjusted risk of HF, cardiovascular disease events and death compared with Stages 0/A. Conclusions In our large community‐based sample of Black individuals, we observed a strikingly high prevalence of Stage B HF in middle age that was a marker of high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

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Is Skeletal Myoblast Transplantation Clinically Relevant in the Era of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors?

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.104.suppl_1.i-223 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 104 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Bruno Pouzet ◽

Saïd Ghostine ◽

Jean-Thomas Vilquin ◽

Isabelle Garcin ◽

Marcio Scorsin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ejection Fraction ◽

Cell Transplantation ◽

Ace Inhibitors ◽

Culture Medium ◽

Ace Inhibitor ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Ejection ◽

Coronary Artery Ligation ◽

Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Background There is compelling experimental evidence that autologous skeletal muscle (SM) cell transplantation improves postinfarction cardiac function. This study assessed whether this benefit is still manifested in the clinically relevant setting of a treatment by ACE inhibitors. Methods and Results A myocardial infarction was created in 99 rats by coronary artery ligation. They were divided into 4 groups. Two groups did not receive any drug and were intramyocardially injected 7 days after the infarct with either culture medium alone (control rats, n=16) or autologous SM cells (2.3×10 6 myoblasts) previously expanded ex vivo for 7 days (myoblasts, n=24). Two other groups received the ACE inhibitor perindoprilat (1 mg · kg −1 · d −1 ), started the day of the infarct and continued uninterruptedly thereafter, and underwent time-matched procedures, that is, they were intramyocardially injected at 7 days after infarction with either culture medium alone (ACE inhibitors, n=22) or autologous SM cells (2.5×10 6 myoblasts) previously expanded ex vivo for 7 days (ACE inhibitors+myoblasts, n=37). Left ventricular function was assessed by 2D echocardiography. At the end of the 2-month study, left ventricular ejection fraction (%, mean±SEM) was increased in all groups (myoblasts, 37.4±1.2; ACE inhibitors, 31.6±1.7; ACE inhibitors+myoblasts, 43.9±1.4) compared with that in control rats (19.8±0.7) ( P <0.0001). The improvement in ejection fraction was similar in the ACE inhibitor and the myoblast groups (31.6±1.7 versus 37.4±1.2, P =0.0636). However, in the ACE inhibitor+myoblast group, this improvement was greater than that seen in hearts receiving either treatment alone (43.9±1.4 versus 31.6±1.7 in the ACE inhibitor group and 43.9±1.4. versus 37.4±1.2 in the myoblast group, P <0.0001 and P =0.0084, respectively). Conclusions These data provide further support for the clinical relevance of autologous SM cell transplantation in that its cardioprotective effects are additive to those observed with ACE inhibitors.

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