Heart Disease and ACE Inhibitor
Verlyn Ross
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 carefully follow the directions on the prescription
label. Never take too many pills at once or too few pills at
once. It is the kind of heart condition you have as well as the
type of ACE inhibitor you have been prescribed that will
determine the duration of the medication, the number of doses you
are required to take as well as the time span that must elapse
between doses.
While you are on an ACE inhibitor it is important to have your
kidneys as well as your blood pressure checked on a regular basis
as problems can arise if these two things are not monitored. It
is never smart to suddenly just stop taking your medication if
you do not like how it makes you feel or you question whether or
not it is actually working at all. Be aware that if you have been
prescribed an ACE inhibitor for heart failure, you may need to
take the medication for a while before you begin to see results.
You should still keep taking it regardless. When it comes to
heart failure, ACE inhibitors decrease the chance that your
health condition will become chronic and will get worse as time
progresses.
If you have questions about ACE inhibitors speak to your doctor
or healthcare professional about your concerns. The more
knowledgeable you are about the medications you are prescribed,
the better equipped you will be to cope with your heart
condition. Always stay informed about new advances in heart
research as well.
Verlyn Ross owns and operates a website dedicated specifically to providing
health and fitness information. It includes a wealth of free articles in
which you may have an interest. For a great place to get Answers, go here!
http://www.achieve-health-fitness.com
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