ACE inhibitors: myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure.

Myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. The results of recent clinical trials support a beneficial role for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in attenuating mortality from myocardial infarction and left ventricular dysfunction. Large-scale survival studies provide practical evidence that the addition of an ACE inhibitor to conventional therapy with diuretics and digoxin can significantly reduce the number of hospital admissions and the risk of death related to progressive heart failure.