Effect of Antihypertensive Agents on the Regression of Hypertensive Cardiac Hypertrophy ― Comparison of Angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitor and Ca++ blocking agent―
A study was conducted to examine differences in the effects of an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (cilazapril) and a Ca++ blocking agent (nifedipine) on regression of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy. Effects of these drugs on the regression of cardiac hypertrophy were examined at one year after administration in 13 patients (7 patients: cilazapril group, 6 patients: nifedipine group) by evaluating findings obtained from ultrasonic echocardiograms and electrocardiograms. A similar degree of reduction in blood pressure was obtained in both groups. The thickness of the interventricular septum (IVS), thickness of the posterior wall (PW) or SV1 + RV5 (ECG) was, to a similar extent, different significantly between both groups. However, the left ventricular mass index (LVM) decreased more remarkably in the cilazapril group (184.5±30.9→147.6±25.1, P<0.01) as compared with that of the nifedipine group (172.7±34.4→159.0±28.3, P<0.05). In conclusion, this study presents the possibility that cilazapril may be superior to nifedipine in its effects on the regression of left vetricular hypertrophy.
