How does it work?

Accupro tablets contain the active ingredient quinapril, which is a type of medicine called an ACE inhibitor. (NB. Quinapril tablets are also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.)

ACE inhibitors work by blocking the action of a compound in the body called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). Normally ACE produces another compound called angiotensin II, as part of the body’s natural control of blood pressure. Angiotensin II causes blood vessels to constrict and narrow, which increases the pressure within the blood vessels.

As quinapril blocks the action of ACE, it reduces the production of angiotensin II. This means that the blood vessels are allowed to relax and widen. The overall effect of this is a drop in blood pressure, hence quinapril can be used to lower high blood pressure. Read the rest of this entry »

Obesity weighs on the heart
All that grease is like napalm to the heart. High-fat diets and oversize portions add weight, which bombards the body with excess cholesterol. That cholesterol begins lining the arteries, causing a gradual narrowing, which damages the heart muscle, said Gerald DeVaughn, MD, a cardiologist and president of Cardiology Medical Associates in Philadelphia.Obesity is a risk factor in cardiovascular disease, especially for young men, but where you carry fat on your body can also be a good predictor of heart health. Being “apple-shaped,” with extra fat on the belly, can put you at a higher risk than someone with the fat distributed around the hips and thighs.

Extra fat cells can also lead to type 2 diabetes, itself a risk factor for heart disease.

Even if you don’t reach your ideal weight, every little bit can help. According to the National Institutes of Health, losing just 10% of your total body weight can lower your risk of heart disease and other conditions associated with obesity.Heavy kids, heavy hearts
While fat-clogged arteries have traditionally been more of an adult issue, rates of obesity and high blood pressure among young people are also soaring, according to researchers at University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, where 20% of students studied were overweight or obese. Read the rest of this entry »