There are several drugs that interfere with the ACE enzyme's activity. These drugs are called ACE inhibitors. They lessen the squeezing of the blood vessels and lower the blood pressure. Lowering the blood pressure reduces or prevents heart attacks or strokes and makes it easier to treat congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart is either too weak or too damaged to pump blood properly.
ACE inhibitors appear to decrease the amount of damage to the heart muscle following a heart attack.
They also prolong life if the heart muscle is weak due to a dilated cardiomyopathy. The drugs may be used alone or with other drugs that treat high blood pressure. Recently, ACE inhibitors have been shown to limit muscle damage done to the heart by a heart attack. ACE inhibitors are used to treat congestive heart failure. Poor pumping ability of the heart leads to buildup of fluid in body tissues and the lungs.