ACE Inhibitors Link to Angioedema

USA- According to the MayoClinic.org, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can potentially cause life-threatening angioedema in some patients. The condition is more prevalent in patients with African heritage.

ACE inhibitors are a type of drug used to lower blood pressure. The medication works by helping to relax a person’s blood vessels. The enzyme angiotensin II causes a narrowing of blood vessels and can release blood pressure raising hormones in the body. ACE inhibitors block the body’s production of this enzyme, therefore, preventing the rise in blood pressure and the heart stress caused by high blood pressure.

There are a variety of different medications that are categorized as ACE inhibitors. Doctors should take into account the patient’s health issues and conditions when prescribing these medications. Research has indicated that this class of drugs is less effective in people of African heritage than they are in white people.

Ace inhibitors are used to treat or prevent many different conditions including heart failure, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, scleroderma, migraines, heart disease, heart failure, heart attacks, and some forms of kidney disease. The medication can be prescribed in combination with other drugs.

There are many different side-effects potentially caused by ACE inhibitors. One potentially dangerous side-effect is angioedema. Angioedema is a condition related to hives.** Hives are small itchy welts that can form on a person after that person was exported to certain foods or medications. Angioedema is similar but more severe. Angioedema impacts the deeper layers of the skin and often forms on a patient’s face or lips. In some instances, the condition can cause the swelling of a person’s throat and become life-threatening. This condition is rarely caused by ACE inhibitors, but it has been shown to be more common in persons of African heritage.