A heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction) is a life-threatening event in which the supply of blood and oxygen to part of the heart is blocked for a long enough period of time that heart muscle dies. One of the complications of a heart attack is congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood throughout the body. It does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way that it should. This can lead to symptoms of CHF that include shortness of breath, swelling of the feet, ankles of lower legs, and rapid weight gain to name a few (see Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure for more information).

 

For people who develop heart failure following a heart attack, taking Altace on a daily basis decreases their risk of death by 27 percent. Altace also decreases the chances of developing severe heart failure symptoms and for hospitalizations from CHF.

 

Cardiovascular disease refers to diseases that affect the heart or the blood vessel system within a person's entire body. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not one single disease or condition. Rather, it is a group of over 60 different disorders.

 

Over 70 million Americans (almost one-fourth of the population) have some form of cardiovascular disease, with high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke being the most common forms.

 

Altace has been shown to decrease the chances of having a stroke, heart attack, or death from cardiovascular causes in people who are at high risk for developing these complications. This includes people with a history of coronary artery disease, a stroke, or diabetes.