Our analyses found no evidence of a difference in total mortality or cardiovascular outcomes for ARBs as compared with ACE inhibitors , while ARBs caused slightly fewer WDAEs than ACE inhibitors .
Although ACE inhibitors have shown efficacy in these outcomes over placebo , our results can not be used to extrapolate the same conclusion for ARBs directly , which have not been studied in placebo-controlled trials for hypertension .
BACKGROUND Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors ( ACE inhibitors ) and angiotensin receptor blockers ( ARBs ) are widely prescribed for primary hypertension ( systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg ) .
However , while ACE inhibitors have been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity in placebo-controlled trials , ARBs have not .
Therefore , a comparison of the efficacies of these two drug classes in primary hypertension for preventing total mortality and cardiovascular events is important .
OBJECTIVES To compare the effects of ACE inhibitors and ARBs on total mortality and cardiovascular events , and their rates of withdrawals due to adverse effects ( WDAEs ) , in people with primary hypertension .
Valsartan: long-term efficacy and tolerability compared to lisinopril in elderly patients with essential hypertension.
A total of 501 elderly patients with essential hypertension were r and omized to receive  valsartan or lisinopril in this one year multi-center , double-blind , parallel group trial . Patients received valsartan 40 mg ( n = 334 ) or lisinopril 2.5 mg ( n = 167 ) daily for 2 weeks with subsequent titration ( alone or in combination with hydroclorothiazide ) , depending on response to treatment . The primary efficacy variable was the percentage of patients with a response , defined as sitting diastolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg or drop of > or = 10 mmHg from baseline . A high percentage of patients responded to treatment in both valsartan and lisinopril groups : 80 % for both groups at 12 weeks and 81 % and 87 % , respectively , at 52 weeks with no statistically significant difference between treatments ( 12 weeks , p = 0.925 ; 52 weeks , p = 0.148 ) . More patients on lisinopril experienced drug-related cough ( 7.5 % on valsartan , 17.4 % on lisinopril ) . In 5.4 % of lisinopril treated patients , cough led to discontinuation of therapy compared to 0.6 % on valsartan . Valsartan 80 mg daily provides comparable short and long-term antihypertensive efficacy to lisinopril in elderly patients with a lower incidence of drug-related cough
Our analyses found no evidence of a difference in total mortality or cardiovascular outcomes for ARBs as compared with ACE inhibitors , while ARBs caused slightly fewer WDAEs than ACE inhibitors .
Although ACE inhibitors have shown efficacy in these outcomes over placebo , our results can not be used to extrapolate the same conclusion for ARBs directly , which have not been studied in placebo-controlled trials for hypertension .
BACKGROUND Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors ( ACE inhibitors ) and angiotensin receptor blockers ( ARBs ) are widely prescribed for primary hypertension ( systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg ) .
However , while ACE inhibitors have been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity in placebo-controlled trials , ARBs have not .
Therefore , a comparison of the efficacies of these two drug classes in primary hypertension for preventing total mortality and cardiovascular events is important .
OBJECTIVES To compare the effects of ACE inhibitors and ARBs on total mortality and cardiovascular events , and their rates of withdrawals due to adverse effects ( WDAEs ) , in people with primary hypertension .