1. Introduction

What does this guide cover?

High blood pressure is treated with different kinds of pills, like diuretics (water pills), beta blockers, ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), and ARBs. In fact, people often take more than one kind of pill to bring blood pressure down.

This guide can help you talk with your doctor or nurse about two of the many kinds of blood pressure pills. It compares the benefits, side effects, and prices of drugs called ACEIs (pronounced “aces”) and ARBs.

The information in this guide comes from a government-funded review of research comparing ACEIs and ARBs.

What are ACEIs and ARBs?

Both ACEIs and ARBs relax blood vessels, and that lowers blood pressure. The names of ACEI drugs and ARB drugs are listed in the chart below. If you don’t find your drug in the chart, you are probably taking a kind of blood pressure pill not covered in this guide.

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2. Fast Facts

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3. Treating High Blood Pressure

Why Treat High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is one of the most common medical problems. Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms. That’s why it’s called “the silent killer.”

Blood pressure is the stress that blood puts on the inside walls of the arteries (blood vessels) as it flows through the body. High blood pressure means that blood is pushing too hard on the blood vessels. If high blood pressure is not treated, people can have a stroke, a heart attack, or problems with their kidneys.

Some people can lower their blood pressure by changing to healthier habits. Losing weight, eating healthy, and getting active can help. Most people also need medicines to bring their blood pressure under control. Work with your doctor or nurse to find medicines that are right for you.

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4. Comparing ACEIs and ARBs

How do benefits of ACEIs and ARBs compare?

• When taken regularly, both ACEIs and ARBs do a good job of lowering blood pressure. ACEIs and ARBs work equally well.
• They do not affect cholesterol levels or blood sugar levels.
• They rarely cause serious problems.

Which drug is right for you may depend on what you think about the side effects and cost.

How do side effects of ACEIs and ARBs compare?

Both ACEIs and ARBs can cause cough, dizziness, and headache. The chance of dizziness or headache is about the same with ACEIs and ARBs. The main difference is that ACEIs are more likely to cause a dry cough. Sometimes this cough is bad enough that people need to switch drugs. In research studies:

• 8 out of 100 people taking an ACEI stop taking it because of side effects.
• 3 out of 100 people taking an ARB stop because of side effects.

Tell your doctor or nurse if you are bothered by one of these side effects. But do not stop taking your medicine on your own.

How do costs compare?

Cost is often a major factor in using a medicine. The chart in section 6 can help you compare the costs of these pills. If medicines are part of your health insurance plan, check with your plan about the cost to you.

• Brand name ACEIs and ARBs have similar costs.
• Some of the ACEIs are available as generics, which cost less.

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5. Serious Risks

What about serious risks?

It is rare, but sometimes people get a drug reaction called angioedema (pronounced “AN-gee-o-uh-DEE-muh”). In research studies comparing ACEIs and ARBs, about 1 out of every 10,000 people gets angioedema.

The most common symptom of angioedema is swelling of the tongue or lips. Call your doctor or nurse right away if you start to swell. This might mean you are having a reaction to your medicine.

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6. Price

¹ Doses are similar to those used in the research studies.
² Average Wholesale Price from Drug Topics Redbook, 2007.

¹ Doses are similar to those used in the research studies.
² Average Wholesale Price from Drug Topics Redbook, 2007.

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7. Source

The information in this guide comes from a detailed review of 61 research reports. The review is called Comparative Effectiveness of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEIs) and Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists (ARBs) for Treating Essential Hypertension (2007), and was written by the Duke Evidence-based Practice Center.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) created the Eisenberg Center at Oregon Health & Science University to make research helpful for consumers. This guide was prepared by Bruin Rugge, M.D., Sandra Robinson, M.S.P.H., Martha Schechtel, R.N., Theresa Bianco, Pharm.D., Valerie King, M.D., and David Hickam, M.D., of the Eisenberg Center. People with high blood pressure helped them write this guide.

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8. For More Information

For more information about high blood pressure, visit the MedlinePlus Web site:
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/highbloodpressure.html

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