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ACE inhibitor

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Also known as Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, Acei, Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors

pharmaceutical drug used primarily for the treatment of hypertension (elevated blood pressure) and congestive heart failure

Key facts

Use
Hypertension
Atc code
C09A
Biological target
Angiotensin-converting enzyme
Drugs com
Drug Classes
Consumer reports
Best Buy Drugs
Webmd
MedicineNet RxList
Mesh
D000806

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

63,971 papers

via PubMed

~25 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) are a class of medication used primarily for the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure. This class of medicine works by causing relaxation of blood vessels as well as a decrease in blood volume, which leads to lower blood pressure and decreased oxygen demand from the heart.

ACE inhibitors inhibit the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme, an important component of the renin–angiotensin system which converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II, and hydrolyses bradykinin. Therefore, ACE inhibitors decrease the formation of angiotensin II, a vasoconstrictor, and increase the level of bradykinin, a peptide vasodilator. This combination is synergistic in lowering blood pressure.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “ACE inhibitor” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.