In the years before modern medicine, “witch doctors” in England gave their clients a preparation made from the leaves of the foxglove plant to aid their failing hearts. Doctors of the day scorned the practice, but today we know that foxglove is the natural source of the drug digitalis, long a mainstay in the treatment [...]

This classification of drugs includes two brands which are listed in the charts at the end of this chapter. These drugs are prescribed for patients with hypertension and heart failure. They work by inhibiting the production of an enzyme (angiotensin-converting enzyme) involved in the increase of blood pressure. Without as much of the enzyme released [...]