ACE Inhibitors News and Research

RSS

ACE inhibitors act to reduce hypertension by interfering with the conversion of angiotensin I to artery-constricting angiotensin II. Blocking the production of angiotensin II results in arterial vasodilation and an accompanying reduction in blood pressure. ACE inhibitors currently are recommended as first-line therapy for hypertension in certain patient populations, because of their safety and efficacy.

Polypill improves survival rates for heart disease sufferers

A ‘polypill’ made up of a combination of drugs could extend the lives of thousands of patients with coronary heart disease, say researchers at The University of Nottingham.

10 May 2005

Heart failure patients do better when treated according to guidelines, but too many doctors still fail to prescribe the best treatments

Heart failure patients who are treated in accordance with established European guidelines do better than patients who are not, yet many doctors are still not adhering to the guidelines, according to pioneering research published in Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal.

4 May 2005

Diuretics work better for high blood pressure

Study results by faculty members of the University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston suggests that the older, cheaper diuretics remain the drug of choice for both black and non-black patients in treating high blood pressure and reducing risk of heart disease, and confirms earlier findings that diuretics rather than newer, more expensive drugs such as ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, or beta blockers should be preferred as a first therapy for most patients.

5 Apr 2005

Blood pressure control suggests new approach to hypertension therapy

The kidneys have long been known to play a major role in many cases of high blood pressure, but a new study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center reveals that the body's control of blood pressure depends as much on other organs in the body.

3 Apr 2005

Questions about validity of HOPE TOO vitamin E study

A study published in the March 16 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggesting that a "daily-dose" of vitamin E (400 international units) among high-risk (chronically ill) cardiovascular patient populations is associated with a greater risk of heart failure is being challenged by leading health researchers around the country who claim the study lacks the adequate research and controlled sampling audience to justify this conclusion.

16 Mar 2005

Drug therapy may be comparable to invasive cardiac procedures for elderly patients with heart attack

Although the type and intensity of treatment for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) [heart attack] varies widely across the country, elderly patients who receive intensive medical treatment may have comparable survival as those who undergo invasive cardiac procedures (such as angioplasty and bypass surgery), according to a study in the March 16 issue of JAMA.

15 Mar 2005

Blacks less likely to get expensive, newer heart treatments

Blacks who suffer the most common type of cardiac ischemia – non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome – are less likely than whites to receive expensive or newer evidence-based treatments, according to a report in a special disparities themed issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Mar 2005

Efforts to improve the quality of post-heart attack care working better for men than for women

Efforts to improve the quality of post-heart attack care in hospitals are working - but they appear to be working better for men than for women, new research shows.

9 Mar 2005

Beta-blockers can benefit patients with certain serious heart problems such as diastolic heart failure

Beta-blockers, medications that block the action of certain hormones on the heart, can benefit patients with certain serious heart problems such as diastolic heart failure, according to cardiologists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Loma Linda University Medical Center.

7 Mar 2005

Implanted devices are giving cardiologists a new view of subtle changes in a key measurement of heart health

Implanted devices intended to optimize the cardiac function of patients with heart failure have provided new insights into which patients might be at higher risk of dying suddenly from their disease, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

7 Mar 2005

Breakthrough noninvasive tool for early cardiovascular disease detection

Physicians and researchers now have access to a noninvasive fingertip test that can identify patients with the earliest stages of cardiovascular disease and replace testing that is done during angiography.

7 Mar 2005

FDA approves Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) for the treatment of heart failure

AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) Tablets for the treatment of heart failure (NYHA class II-IV and ejection fraction less than or equal to 40%) to reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular causes and reduce hospitalizations for heart failure.

23 Feb 2005

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients receive less aggressive attention than those with stroke

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients receive less aggressive diagnostic testing, treatment and education compared to stroke patients, which is a missed opportunity to prevent permanent disability or death, researchers reported at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2005.

3 Feb 2005

Drug reviparin reduces the risk of death after heart attack

The drug reviparin (a low molecular weight heparin anticoagulant), when administered to patients with a heart attack, is effective in reducing the risk of death and the risk of a subsequent heart attack, according to a study in the January 26 issue of JAMA.

26 Jan 2005

Low-dose diuretic therapy for most patients with hypertension recommended

Patients with high blood pressure who take calcium channel blockers and diuretics have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) death compared to patients who take beta-blockers plus diuretics, according to a study in the current issue of JAMA.

16 Dec 2004

Noninvasive test of blood flow response may reveal early coronary disease

Chest pain patients who have abnormal coronary blood vessel function also have less responsive blood vessels in their fingertips, suggesting that a type of fingertip probe could become a useful screening tool, according to a new study in the Dec. 7, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

8 Dec 2004

Startling new blood pressure findings - atherosclerosis slowed

A new study led by The Cleveland Clinic shows that giving blood pressure lowering medication to heart disease patients with a “normal” blood pressure dramatically reduces risk of adverse cardiac events and slows disease progression.

16 Nov 2004

Calcium channel blocker reduces adverse cardiovascular events

The calcium channel blocker amlodipine decreases the risk of cardiovascular events (such as heart attack or heart-disease related deaths) in patients with coronary artery disease and normal blood pressure, as does the ACE inhibitor enalapril, but to a lesser extent, according to a study in the November 10 issue of JAMA.

10 Nov 2004

ACE inhibitors not needed for many heart disease patients

Many heart disease patients who are already receiving state-of-the-art therapy do not benefit from additional treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, according to results of a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

8 Nov 2004

Doctors must choose and manage implanted cardiac defibrillators patients carefully

Implanted devices that can shock a failing heart back into regular rhythm do an excellent job of keeping patients alive, two new University of Michigan studies find.

8 Nov 2004