Background: The relationship of the genotype for the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) with exercise capacity or training effects has been studied in athletes or healthy persons, but recently the ACE DD genotype was reported to be associated with decreased exercise capacity in patients with congestive heart failure. Therefore, in the present study the association between the ACE genotype and exercise capacity was investigated in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) participating in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for 3 months.
Methods and results: The study population comprised 168 patients stratified as II (n=75), ID (n=67), and DD (n=26) according to ACE genotype. Baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was similar among the genotype groups. In all patients, exercise capacity (peak work rate (PWR) and peak oxygen uptake (PVO 2)) significantly increased after CR. However, no differences were observed in PWR and PVO2 among the genotype groups at baseline or after CR. The results were similar even when analyzed in 60 patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (LVEF <45%).
Conclusion: The present study suggests that there is no association between ACE I/D polymorphism and exercise capacity in patients after AMI, even with LV dysfunction. Furthermore, ACE genotype may have no influence on the effects of CR after AMI.