Cardio Drugs

ACE Inhibitors
ACE stands for Angiotensin Converting Enzyme. This enzyme activates a hormone in our body called angiotensin. Once activated, this causes several potentially harmful reactions such as blood vessel to constriction. This results in high blood pressure and a strain on the heart.

ACE inhibitors inhibit ACE and prevent the activation of angiotensin. This results in dilated blood vessels and a lower blood pressure. Even in people with normal blood pressure, blocking the activation of angiotensin and dilating blood vessels is effective for treatment of the other conditions listed below. Since effects including localized swelling (augi, neurotic edema) which is rare but potentially dangerous increased levels of waste products (BUN, creatinine) and increased levels of potassium.

• Treatment of high blood pressure
• Treatment of heart failure
• Prolonging survival of patients who have had a heart attack
• Preventing deaths, heart attacks and strokes in patients with vascular disease and in diabetics with other vascular risk factors
• Prolonging survival of patients with weak heart muscle
• Helping leaking heart valves
• Preserving kidney function in diabetics

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers
Angiotensin is a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict. This results in high blood pressure and a strain on the heart.

Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) prevent angiotensin from binding to its receptor in the walls of the blood vessels. This results in a lower blood pressure. Even in people with normal blood pressure, blocking the activation of angiotensin is effective for treatment of heart failure. Note the similarity between how these work and how the ACE inhibitors work. Unlike the ACE inhibitors, angiotensin blockers do not cause a (dry non-productive) cough as a side effect. These are often substituted for ACE inhibitors when a cough develops in someone who is otherwise benefiting from the ACE inhibitor. They can however adversely affect kidney function and raise the potassium level just as ACE inhibitors do. ARBs are used for:

• Treatment of high blood pressure
• Treatment of heart failure
• Prevent renal damage in diabetic