Short-term improvement in submaximal exercise capacity by optimized therapy with ACE inhibitors and beta blockers in heart failure patients is associated with restoration of peripheral endothelial function.

Background: Improved exercise capacity in chronic heart failure (CHF) has been attributed to restoration of endothelial function. ACE inhibitors as well as beta blockers have previously been shown to enhance endothelial function and exercise capacity. The aim of this study was to determine whether short-term improvement in submaximal exercise capacity induced by optimized therapy with ACE inhibitors in combination with beta blockers is associated with restoration of endothelial function in CHF patients.

Chronic heart failure is associated with vascular remodeling of the brachial artery.

Aims: Endothelial dysfunction has been shown to correlate with severity of congestive heart failure (CHF) and recent data suggest morphological changes of peripheral vasculature to be associated with the syndrome. We therefore investigated the hypothesis that vascular remodeling is associated with functional changes in peripheral conduit arteries and with systemic overexpression of ET-1 in patients suffering from CHF.

Methods And Results: 57 consecutive patients referred to the Innsbruck Heart Failure and Transplantation Program (EF=23+/-7%) and 16 matched controls (EF=60+/-5%) were studied.