Hypertension: Which first-line medication is best?
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are approved medications used in the treatment of hypertension.
ACE inhibitors are more commonly prescribed than ARBs.
A recent study compares the effectiveness, safety profiles, and side effects associated with each group of medicines.
ACE inhibitors and ARBs are equally recommendedTrusted Source as first-line medications in the treatment of high blood pressure.
Currently, doctors prescribe ACE inhibitors more often than they do ARBs. However, few studies have compared the two classes of drugs directly.
A recent study published in HypertensionTrusted Source, an American Heart Association journal, set out to do just that. Study authors investigated whether there were any differences between the two sets of medication in terms of effectiveness and side effects.
ACE inhibitors and ARBs act on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which is a system of hormones that help regulate blood pressure. While both ACE inhibitors and ARBs are effective, the way they reduce hypertension is different.