What does the future hold for ACE inhibitors?
Cruickshank Jm · PubMed · 1991
The most common cause of death in hypertensive patients is myocardial infarction (MI), being three times more common than stroke. Lowering raised BP results in 40% fewer strokes, but only 14% fewer MIs. This may be because other coronary risk factors that often accompany hypertension (e.g. obesity, lipid and thrombotic disturbances, insulin insensitivity, increased plasma renin activity and increased sympathetic activity) are either unaffected or exacerbated by some of the traditional antihypertensive agents. Some of these risk factors show a diurnal rhythm peaking at 07.00-10.00 hours, thus this time constitutes a 'vulnerable period' for sudden death or death from MI. beta-blockers and diuretics have been effective in preventing stroke, but diuretics (at least potassium-losing diuretics) might actually increase the incidence of sudden death and MI in young to middle-aged hypertensive subjects (though elderly patients may benefit). Quality of life can be impaired by some beta-blockers, and diuretics can cause metabolic upset and male impotence. Thus, antihypertensive agents that are not only effective and well tolerated but are beneficial to the broader coronary risk profile are desirable. ACE inhibitors should prove particularly useful in terms of: good quality of life; non-exacerbation or improvement of coronary risk factors; treating patients with impaired left ventricular function; reversing left ventricular hypertrophy and vascular wall hypertrophy, thus improving coronary flow reserve; atheroma regression; renal protection, particularly in diabetes; and prevention or regression of LV dilatation (remodelling) following MI.