Common Antihypertensive Drugs: ACEI and ARB

ACEI: Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor

It is suitable for patients with diabetes, chronic kidney diseases (except severe renal insufficiency), heart failure, cardiac insufficiency after myocardial infarction, prevention of atrial fibrillation, obesity and stroke.

Drug classification:

    Long-acting drugs include benazepril, fosinopril, perindopril, ramipril and imidapril. Enalapril is the main medium-effect drug. Short-acting drugs mainly include captopril, which is usually used 2-3 times/day if taken for a long time in order to reduce blood pressure quickly when blood pressure increases.

Adverse reactions:

The most common adverse reaction of this kind of drug is dry cough, which is generally not very serious. If you can’t stand it, you can change dressings. After dressing change, dry cough will disappear.

When individuals, especially the elderly, take this kind of medicine for the first time, hypotension may occur when the dosage is too large, which becomes a [first dose hypotension] reaction, so they usually start taking it at a small dose.

Very few patients with allergic constitution will suffer from swollen mouth and tight throat (vascular edema) after taking it. This is a relatively serious allergic reaction, which requires immediate treatment in hospital and the use of antiallergic drugs.

Pregnancy, accompanied by hyperkalemia, or double renal artery stenosis and hypertension patients with angioedema in the past, such drugs are prohibited, and other patients need regular reexamination of blood potassium and creatinine when applying.

ARB: Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist

It is roughly the same as ACEI and its applicable population, especially suitable for patients with obvious dry cough with ACEI drugs.

Commonly used drugs: losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, telmisartan, candesartan and olmesartan.

Responsible Editor: Zhang Jingyuan