Korean Circ J.  2002 Aug;32(8):674-679. 10.4070/kcj.2002.32.8.674.

Effects of Ramipril on Vascular Response in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

• Cho BK
• Park KR
• Kim KY
• Bae JH

• KMID: 1858694
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2002.32.8.674

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been shown to improve the endothelial dysfunction and prevent the development of atherosclerosis in animal models. We performed this study to investigate the effects of the ACE inhibitor, ramipril, on carotid atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction of the brachial artery in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
We studied 69 subjects with a mean age of 59yrs, and divided them into two groups according to ramipril use (39 patients with ramipril and 30 without). Using a double-blind, randomized, prospective design, we measured the flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery, prior to, and 1, 3 and 6 months following coronary angiograms in CAD patients.
RESULTS
The FMD was significantly increased in the ramipril group from 4.6+/-2.2% baseline to 5.3+/-2.5% at the 1 month follow-up (p<0.05), but at the 3 and 6 month follow-ups no significant changes were found. There were no significant differences in the FMD between the two groups at any of the follow-up periods, and no changes in the IMT were found in relation to time for either group.
CONCLUSION
Ramipril improved the endothelial dysfunction in patients with CAD for the first month; however this effect did not persist 3 or 6 months after taking ramipril. Ramipril had no effect on the atherosclerotic vascular changes to the IMT of carotid arteries.

Keyword

Ramipril; Endothelium; Carotid arteries

MeSH Terms

Atherosclerosis
Brachial Artery
Carotid Arteries
Carotid Artery Diseases
Coronary Artery Disease*
Coronary Vessels*
Endothelium
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Models, Animal
Prospective Studies
Ramipril*
Vasodilation
Ramipril