News - Hypertension Week of March 2, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 09

Study: Hypertension Drug Cuts Heart Failure Death

The hypertension drug ramipril reduces the risk of death from heart failure, according to a study reported in the Feb. 24 rapid access issue of the Circulation.

Ramipril, an ACE inhibitor, reduced the rate of heart failure by a significant 22 percent in the 8,315 patients studied who did not suffer a heart attack. Patients who received the drug also had a lower rate of hospitalization and death because of heart failure.

Among the 1,029 people studied who had a heart attack, those taking ramipril had a 13 percent lower rate of heart failure, although the researchers said this finding was not statistically significant.

"This trial extends the benefits of ACE inhibitors beyond what has been previously proven," said lead author Dr. Malcolm Arnold, a professor at the University of Western Ontario and a cardiologist. "It shows, for the first time, that heart failure can be prevented in a broad range of high risk patients."

In an accompanying editorial, Jennifer V. Linseman, and Dr. Michael R. Bristow, of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, said the results are encouraging, but should still be viewed with some caution.

"These data support the idea that ACE inhibitors exert a measurable cardiovascular-protective effect in a broad range of patients at high-risk of cardiovascular complications, and these effects are additional to and independent of blood pressure lowering," wrote Linseman and Bristow.

Other sources: American Heart Association