ACE Inhibitors Prevent Heart Attack, Stroke
ACE Inhibitors Prevent Heart Attack, Stroke
Study Shows High Blood Pressure Drug Lowers Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
Sept. 6, 2004 -- The risk of sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest can be reduced by a type of high blood pressure medication -- angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
Past studies have shown that these medications reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with heart disease. Now comes word that they can also dramatically lower the risk of sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest in people at high risk.
In a follow-up study comparing the ACE inhibitorAltace with vitamin E or placebo treatment, people taking Altace had a 21% reduction in unexpected deaths, deaths due to cardiac arrest, or nonfatal cardiac arrest.
These patients had been taking their other heart disease drugs such as beta blockers, cholesterol- lowering statins, and blood thinners, which makes the results of this follow-up study even more impressive, says American Heart Association spokeswoman Ann Bolger, MD.
"This research underscores the importance of using this class of drugs," the University of California, San Francisco associate professor of medicine, tells WebMD. "The challenge for us as health care providers is to make sure that people who should be on these drugs are taking them."
ACE inhibitors are widely prescribed to patients following heart attacks and for those with heart failure. They are high blood pressure pills which work by preventing blood vessels from narrowing and alleviating the work force on the heart.
But while they are also recommended for people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and others at risk for heart attacks and stroke, they are not prescribed as much as they should be, researcher Koon K. Teo, MD, PhD, tells WebMD.
In the HOPE Trial, Teo and colleagues showed that people at high risk for heart disease who were taking Altace had significantly fewer heart attacks and strokes than high-risk patients taking vitamin E (an antioxidant) or placebo. The trial which involved 9,300 people did not include data on sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest, however.
The researchers now report that after an average of 4.5 years of treatment, 3% of the patients taking the ACE inhibitor had died from sudden cardiac death or experienced a nonfatal cardiac arrest, compared with 4% taking placebo. This translates into a 21% reduction in risk of sudden death or nonfatal cardiac arrest in people with heart disease who take Altace.
Although Altace was the only ACE inhibitor used in the trial, and the study was supported by its Canadian marketer Aventis Pharma Inc., Teo says findings from other studies make it clear that ACE inhibitors as a category of antihypertensive drugs are highly effective in reducing cardiovascular risk. It is also clear, he adds, that other types of drugs play an important role as well.
ACE Inhibitors Prevent Heart Attack, Stroke
Study Shows High Blood Pressure Drug Lowers Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
Sept. 6, 2004 -- The risk of sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest can be reduced by a type of high blood pressure medication -- angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
Past studies have shown that these medications reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with heart disease. Now comes word that they can also dramatically lower the risk of sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest in people at high risk.
In a follow-up study comparing the ACE inhibitorAltace with vitamin E or placebo treatment, people taking Altace had a 21% reduction in unexpected deaths, deaths due to cardiac arrest, or nonfatal cardiac arrest.
These patients had been taking their other heart disease drugs such as beta blockers, cholesterol- lowering statins, and blood thinners, which makes the results of this follow-up study even more impressive, says American Heart Association spokeswoman Ann Bolger, MD.
"This research underscores the importance of using this class of drugs," the University of California, San Francisco associate professor of medicine, tells WebMD. "The challenge for us as health care providers is to make sure that people who should be on these drugs are taking them."
HOPE Revisited
ACE inhibitors are widely prescribed to patients following heart attacks and for those with heart failure. They are high blood pressure pills which work by preventing blood vessels from narrowing and alleviating the work force on the heart.
But while they are also recommended for people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and others at risk for heart attacks and stroke, they are not prescribed as much as they should be, researcher Koon K. Teo, MD, PhD, tells WebMD.
In the HOPE Trial, Teo and colleagues showed that people at high risk for heart disease who were taking Altace had significantly fewer heart attacks and strokes than high-risk patients taking vitamin E (an antioxidant) or placebo. The trial which involved 9,300 people did not include data on sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest, however.
The researchers now report that after an average of 4.5 years of treatment, 3% of the patients taking the ACE inhibitor had died from sudden cardiac death or experienced a nonfatal cardiac arrest, compared with 4% taking placebo. This translates into a 21% reduction in risk of sudden death or nonfatal cardiac arrest in people with heart disease who take Altace.
Although Altace was the only ACE inhibitor used in the trial, and the study was supported by its Canadian marketer Aventis Pharma Inc., Teo says findings from other studies make it clear that ACE inhibitors as a category of antihypertensive drugs are highly effective in reducing cardiovascular risk. It is also clear, he adds, that other types of drugs play an important role as well.