Effects of aspirin on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and left ventricular dilation one year after acute myocardial infarction

There are conflicting reports on the interaction of aspirin with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in heart failure and systemic hypertension. A past hoc analysis of the Captopril and Thrombolysis Study (CATS) study was conducted. At randomization, 94 patients (31.5%) took aspirin. In patients who took aspirin, the cumulative alpha-hydroxy butyrate dehydrogenase release was 1,151 +/- 132 IU/L in patients randomized to captopril compared with 1,401 +/- 136 IU/L in patients randomized to placebo (difference -250 +/- 189 [95% confidence interval (CI) -620 to 120]). This difference was comparable to the difference in patients who did not use aspirin (-199 +/- 147 [95% CI -488 to 897]). One year after acute myocardial infarction, an increase in left ventricular end-diastolic volume index of 2.2 +/- 3.0 ml/m(2) in captopril-treated and 1.9 +/- 2.9 ml/m(2) in placebo-treated patients was observed in patients who took aspirin (difference 0.4 +/- 4.2 [95% CI -8.2 to 8.9]), This difference was also comparable to the difference in patients who did not take aspirin (2.2 +/- 3.8 [95% CI -5.2 to 9.7]). One year after acute myocardial infarction, patients who did take aspirin had a mean change in LV end-diastolic volume index of 2.1 +/- 2.1 ml/m(2) compared with 8.4 +/- 1.9 ml/m(2) in patients who did not use aspirin (p = 0.02), Thus, aspirin does not attenuate the acute and long-term effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition after acute myocardial infarction, but independently reduces LV dilation after myocardial infarction. (C) 1998 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.