If you have heart failure, your body may mistake poor blood circulation for dehydration and signal your kidneys to retain salt and water. paroxetine. If this happens, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor may be used to prevent the hormone angiotensin from constricting blood vessels and raising your blood pressure. Common ACE inhibitors include captopril (Capoten), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), benazepril (Lotensin), fosinopril (Monopril), enalapril (Vasotec), or lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril).
“ACE inhibitors are one of the very best medications for heart failure. They are also one of the best for patients with diabetes, who are at risk for kidney damage, because they help the kidney do its job,” says Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Leslie Cho, M.D.
Most Popular
Public Speaking: 7 Secrets Of Great Public Speakers
10 Jobs That Pay $30 An Hour
13 Job Interview Mistakes To Avoid
5 Regular Mistakes In Public Speaking
3 Questions No Job Seeker Ever Wants To Be Asked?
ACE inhibitors are always started at a low dose, which is raised over time. This process, called titration, allows the doctor to find the lowest dose that will control blood pressure while watching for side effects.
“One week after starting the drug, a kidney function test is needed to make sure it is not adversely affecting the kidneys,” says Dr. Cho. She added that when you take ACE inhibitors, you must be careful taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, because the combination can cause kidney dysfunction.
A common side effect of ACE inhibitors is a dry cough, which bothers some people enough to stop taking the drug. In these cases, an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) may be substituted. Common ARBs include losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), irbesartan (Avapro) and candesartan (Atacand). These drugs don’t make patients cough.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Belvoir Media Group, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning