Haemodynamic effects of captopril in acute left ventricular failure complicating myocardial infarction.

Activation of the renin-angiotensin system in acute myocardial infarction may have important haemodynamic consequences. The effects of captopril were assessed in nine patients with acute left ventricular failure complicating myocardial infarction. Plasma angiotensin II was elevated at 16.8 (3.6) pmol/l (mean [SE]) including high levels in three of four patients in the absence of any previous therapy, including diuretics. Repeated low doses of captopril were administered to reduce pulmonary capillary wedge pressure less than 14 mm Hg or to a maximum total dose of 25 mg. Right atrial pressure fell from 12.4 (0.9) to 9.4 (0.7) mm Hg p less than 0.001, pulmonary arterial pressure from 32.7 (3) to 26.4 (2.2) p = 0.01, and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure from 25.7 (2.9) to 19.9 (2.2) p = 0.01. Despite a fall in systemic vascular resistance from 1,540 (110) to 1,330 (76) dyn/s/cm5, and mean arterial pressure from 84.8 (3.9) to 76.7 (2.7) p = 0.001, changes in cardiac output were small: 3.8 (0.3) to 4.2 (0.3) NS. Angiotensin II fell in all patients even after only 3.125 mg to a mean of 3.6 (1.0). These improvements occurred whether basal angiotensin II was elevated or normal, and in the presence or absence of diuretic therapy. At 24 hours, seven patients received captopril in the maximum titrated dose of the previous day. Haemodynamic changes at one hour were of similar magnitude to those during incremental dosing. These results suggest that reduction of angiotensin II exerts beneficial haemodynamic effects in heart failure complicating acute myocardial infarction.