Hypertension and congestive heart failure: Benefits of converting enzyme inhibition (captopril)

Congestive heart failure is a frequent complication of hypertension. This is a brief review of the mechanisms precipitating heart failure, as well as the various approaches to treatment of this complication. Emphasis is given to the rationale for treating congestive heart failure with vasodilation and by chronic angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition with captopril. A summary is presented of clinical experience with this agent over the past few years together with an outline of the characteristics that make it different from pharmacologic vasodilators