ABSTRACT:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) continue to represent the major cause of death, morbidity and healthcare expenditure worldwide.Hypertension and heart failure, the most important cardiovascular disease entities, are associated with imbalance in neurohormonal systems activity such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system , the sympathetic nervous system and the endothelin system. Neprilysin is an enzyme that contributes to the breakdown of the biologically active natriuretic peptides and several other vasoactive compounds. Inhibiting neprilysin has been a therapeutic target for several compounds that have been tested in cardiovascular disease, including ecadotril, candoxatril, omapatrilat.Its ability to inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis and augment the endogenous natriuretic peptide system provides a distinctive mechanism of action in cardiovascular diseases. The role of neprilysin inhibitors in cardiovascular disease has been discussed in this article.