by Verlyn Ross
(USA)
by verlyn
This article is written to discuss heart disease and ACE inhibitors, what they are and their impact on you as a heart patient.
There are a variety of medications that a person can be prescribed for heart disease. One of these is known as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These are a group of medications that serve to dilate (or widen) the blood vessels in order to improve the quantity of blood that is pumped through the heart and they also serve to lower blood pressure. Also sometimes referred to as ACE inhibitors, they serve to increase the amount of blood flow and by doing so, this cuts down on how much work the heart must do.
ACE inhibitors are prescribed to patients for a variety of heart conditions with the most common being heart failure. Patients with high blood pressure are often prescribed ACE inhibitors, as are those with diabetes. For those suffering from Type 2 diabetes, this medication has been proven to slow down the process that causes damage to the kidneys. If administered to a patient shortly after suffering a heart attack, ACE inhibitors can prevent further damage and can also increase the survival rate of patients. Paramedics arriving at the scene of a heart attack are often trained to administer ACE inhibitors to patients. ACE inhibitors act as prevention for heart attacks and strokes for those people classified as high-risk.
ACE inhibitors are sold under a variety of different brand names. Examples of these include Capoten (captopril), Vasotec (enalapril), Prinivil and Zestril (lisinopril), and Lotensin (benazepril). Other types of ACE inhibitors include Monopril (fosinopril), Altace (ramipril), Accupril (quinapril), Aceon (perindopril), Mavik (trandolapril), and Univasc (moexipril).
It is best to take ACE inhibitors on an empty stomach, approximately one hour before you eat a meal. It is so important to always
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