Another form of anti-hypertensive agent is ACE inhibitors. It gets its game from the fact that it inhibits the formation of angiotensin converting enzyme an important component in the body that is helpful in forming angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is responsible in restricting or limiting the blood vessel muscles to contract during the pumping of blood. This promotes rise of blood pressure. By hampering the formation of angiotensin II, the effect of ACE inhibitors directly soothes and relaxes the arterial muscles thereby decreasing its restriction to contraction and leading to the lowering of hypertension. ACE inhibitors are used by doctors to improve performance and pumping efforts of the heart, which makes it essentially important to heart failure patients.
Doctors and medical experts recommend the hypertension treatment of ACE inhibitors. This type of drug is well performing supplement to diuretics when they don’t work efficiently. Additionally, ACE inhibitors do not have effects on blood sugar levels and help protect the kidneys.
ACE inhibitors bear small damaging side effects. These are more preferred by patients than beta-blockers, alpha-blockers and diuretics. People who have asthma, high cholesterol and heart failure will not find it hard to take ACE inhibitors , since, these can even improve heart rate.
ACE inhibitors however are not made for everyone. Patients that suffer elevated conditions of kidney failure may be exposed to higher risk of kidney dysfunction and extreme rise of potassium levels.
Recent studies have also supported the adverse effects of ACE inhibitors in pregnant women. Doctors and experts suggest that the use of this drug should be prohibited all throughout the duration of pregnancy. While most birth defects causes remain to be highly unknown, significant evidences that link ACE inhibitors to such was found relatively alarming.
Side effects of ACE inhibitors include rashes or itching, dry cough, allergies, swelling of some parts in the body like lips, hyperkalemia or high concentration of potassium in the body. Dry cough is most commonly experienced by hypertensive patients taking ACE inhibitors. Again, people with heart failure are better off with these drugs. And diabetics may also opt for this anti-hypertensive agent. It is important however to take necessary considerations when medicating with ACE inhibitors.
ACE inhibitors must be taken on an empty stomach usually about an hour before the meal. Doctors often prescribe the time, number of dosage and the length of treatment. While under this drug, blood pressure must always be kept track of. Kidneys condition should also be regularly checked. Treatment with ACE inhibitors must be continuous until desired blood pressure of 120/80 is attained.
