Comparison of captopril and digoxin in mild to moderate heart failure.

Captopril 25 mg every 8 hours for 1 month appeared to improve dynamic effort tolerance and cardiac function under the stress of isometric exercise in patients with chronic heart failure, functional class II-III NYHA. The improvement was comparable to that obtained in the same subjects with digoxin 0.25 mg once a day given for a similar period of 1 month. Therefore, captopril with its lower toxicity and wider therapeutic range, might be considered as a valid alternative to digoxin for treatment of patients in sinus rhythm with mild to moderate heart failure.