ACE inhibitors and myocardial remodeling in patients with arterial hypertension and atrial fibrillation

The study is focused on assessing dynamics of left atrium volume and volume index after treatment of paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), during ACE therapy with lipophilic (n=34) or hydrophilic (n=38) «standard» antihypertensive medications. After sinus rhythm restoration, mechanical dysfunction of left atrium was observed in 95, 8 % of the participants. Standard antihypertensive therapy, including lipophilic or hydrophilic ACE inhibitors, resulted in improved left atrium mechanical function and heart remodeling in 82, 1 %. Hydrophilic ACE inhibitor (Dapril) was no less effective than lipophilic medication (enalapril), being even more effective in terms of duration and dynamics of left atrium mechanical function recovery. Dapril demonstrated high effectiveness, no less than for enalapril, together with minimal adverse event rate (0 % vs 14 %>, respectively). This could improve patients' compliance to persistent medication therapy of the principal pathology