My daughter has to start taking an ACE inhibitor to manage her heart condition (she has hypoplastic right heart syndrome.) From what I've read...this is powerful stuff. Are there any issues that I need to be aware of?

Also, do you know anything about the link betgween salt substitutes and heart attacks? I've read that people who have heart conditions risk going into cardiac arrest if they eat too much of the stuff.

Thanks in advance!

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by AndrewA:
<strong> My daughter has to start taking an ACE inhibitor to manage her heart condition (she has hypoplastic right heart syndrome.) From what I've read...this is powerful stuff. Are there any issues that I need to be aware of?

Also, do you know anything about the link betgween salt substitutes and heart attacks? I've read that people who have heart conditions risk going into cardiac arrest if they eat too much of the stuff.

Thanks in advance! </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I think considering her underlying cardiac condition and the clear survival benefit ACE Inhibitors have shown in Heart Failure, an ACE Inhibitor is mandatory for your child's survival and optimization of her heart function. I am by no means a pediatric cardiologist, but I do know that someone with a weak or absent right heart (which is the laymen term for your daughters heart condition) is prone to going into congestive heart failure easily, and thus ACE Inhibitor will help optimize her condition to best prevent this. It is a "powerful" drug, but relatively safe. The issues with that drug are usually related to kidney function affects, and it can cause a rise in potassium, so any other drugs that she may be on that retain potassium need to be adjusted accordingly.

With respect to salt substitues, I suspect what you are concerned about is the potential that these medications would offset one's metabolic status and alter the ventricular fibrillation (another word for a cardiac arrest) threshold and thus cause an arrest. I do not think this is really something for you to be worried about. There is a link, but to the best of my experiecne, I have never seen it, but remember I deal with trauma NOT cardiology, so experiences definitely temper knowledge.

It sounds like your daughter is getting the right care. Like I said previously, a pediatric cardiologist would obviously be 1000X more qualified to manage your daughter (as I am sure she has one) but the questions you ask, a good MD with a reasonable knowlege base should be able to offer an opinion.

I hope the holidays were pleasant for you and the twins.

Cheers <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

LM