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ACE inhibitor
(redirected from Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors)

    Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.26 sec.
ACE inhibitor (ā'sē'ē`, ās) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ăn'jēōtĕn`sĭn), drug used to reduce elevated blood pressure (see hypertension hypertension or high blood pressure, elevated blood pressure resulting from an increase in the amount of blood pumped by the heart or from increased resistance to the flow of blood through the small arterial blood vessels (arterioles).
..... Click the link for more information. ), to treat congestive heart failure congestive heart failure, inability of the heart to expel sufficient blood to keep pace with the metabolic demands of the body. In the healthy individual the heart can tolerate large increases of workload for a considerable length of time.
..... Click the link for more information. , and to alleviate strain on hearts damaged as a result of a heart attack (see infarction myocardial infarction or heart attack is usually caused by a blockage in one of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. The blockage typically occurs when a blood clot (see thrombosis ) lodges in an area already narrowed by arteriosclerosis ; other
..... Click the link for more information. ). ACE inhibitors block production of an enzyme that helps convert the protein angiotensin 1 into angiotensin 2, a protein that makes blood vessels constrict and promotes retention of fluid, raising blood pressure. Thus ACE inhibitors act to widen the blood vessels and make it easier for the heart to pump blood through the body. captopril (Capoten), ramipril (Altace), and enalapril (Vasotec) are commonly used ACE inhibitors.

Angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), such as losartan (Cozaar) and valsartan (Diovan), reduce hypertension by displacing angiotensin 2 from receptors on the surface of cells. ARBs are used as alternatives to the less expensive ACE inhibitors because they have fewer side effects.
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Heart failure treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in hospitalized Medicare patients in 10 states.
Customized Clinical Case Management for Chronically Ill Patients by Hart, Tricia / Physician Executive
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were developed during the 1980s to control activity of the systemic renin-angiotensin system in hypertension.
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Presumably because angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors affect the metabolism of eicosanoids and polypeptides, including endogenous bradykinin, patients receiving ACE inhibitors (including PRINIVIL) may be subject to a variety of adverse reactions, some of them serious.
FDA clears Merck's Prinivil to save lives when initiated in patients ... by Business Wire
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