Intermittent treatment regime for organ failure

摘要

A method of treating patients with coronary heart failure (CHF) by the intermittent administration of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and/or angiostatin II receptor agonists (ARBs) is disclosed. The ACE inhibitor is administered to the patient during a treatment period and the levels of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the patient's blood is determined. Treatment with the ACE inhibitor is discontinued (during a recovery period) when the measured level of hematopoietic cells drops below a given point and is re-administered when levels rise above a given point. Alternating, treatment and recovery periods can be repeated a plurality of times. Levels of HSC may be determined based on ACE⁺ cell levels or by monitoring CD34 levels and the results used to determine optimum points for the administration of drugs which reduce HSC levels.