Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor induced cough: experience in Siriraj Hospital.

With the increasing use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) in the treatment of hypertension, particularly in diabetic patients, and heart failure, an annoying cough has frequently been observed. According to the post marketing surveillance studies, the prevalence of cough associated with ACEI was only 0.1-4 per cent. However, many recent studies have observed a very much higher frequency. To examine the incidence and pattern of cough associated with the usage of ACEI (C-ACEI) in a Thai population, mixed retrospective and prospective studies were performed in hypertensive patients who attended the out-patient department, Siriraj Hospital between December 1999 and August 2000. A thousand cases who had used or have been using ACEI were studied. C-ACEI was present in 179 cases of 760 retrospective studied cases (23.6%) and 75 cases of 240 prospective studied cases (31.3%). Cough was typically described as irritative (93.8% retrospectively and 98.7% prospectively, p = 0.05) and nocturnal in onset (74.9% retrospectively and 80% prospectively, p = 0.12), and usually appeared within the first 4 weeks of treatment (41.3% retrospectively and 46.7% prospectively, p = 0.43). Patients who received a full dosage of ACEI did not have to posses an increasing risk of C-ACEI. There was no difference in the prevalence of C-ACEI among types of ACEI, except cilazapril and quinapril which were found to be higher than enalapril in the retrospective study (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.002, respectively). Types of study were shown to influence the prevalence of C-ACEI. Prospective studies yielded a higher rate of C-ACEI than retrospective ones.

Estudo comparativo duplo-cego da eficácia e segurança do cilazapril comparadas à nifedipina "retard" no tratamento da hipertensäo arterial leve e moderada / Double-Blind Comparative Study of Efficacy and Safety of Cilazapril Compared to Nifedipine Retard in the Treatment of Mild and Moderate Hypertension

PURPOSE--To evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of cilazapril compared to nifedipine retard in mild to moderate hypertension. METHODS--forty randomized out-patients with mild moderate hypertension, diastolic pressure (DP) between 95 and 115 mmHg, with placebo for 15 days were randomized and allocated for treatment, double-blind, once daily with cilazapril 2.5 mg (n = 20) or nifedipine retard 20 mg (20 = n) for four weeks. The non-responders (DP > 90mmHg) had the dosage increased twice, b.i.d., while responders were maintained up to 10 weeks. Clinical visits were performed before, at baseline and every two weeks and the laboratory test was performed after placebo run-in, 4th and 10th weeks of treatment. RESULTS--The blood pressure (BP) were similar between groups at the end of the placebo (cilazapril 151 +/- 14/103 +/- 5 - nifedipine 157 +/- 17/108 +/- 7mmHg, p > 0.05). DP decreased already at second weeks (cilazapril 95 +/- 9 - nifedipine 96 +/- 11mmHg, p < 0.05, compared to week 0) in both groups at the end of study with no difference inter groups. BP normalization was obtained in 58 per cent of the patients with cilazapril and in 61 per cent in the nifedipine group. Adverse biochemical effects were not observed in any group. Six (16 per cent) patients of the cilazapril and 15 (39per cent) of nifedipine related collateral events, although no difference were observed between groups. CONCLUSION--Cilazapril 2.5 to 25mg normalized BP in 58 per cent of mild and moderate hypertension patients, and this efficacy was similar to sustained-release nifedipine 20 to 40mg. Cilazapril had no adverse effects on the biochemical parameters with low incidence of collateral effects