Comparison of cardiocerebrovascular disease incidence between angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker users in a real-world cohort.

BACKGROUND: Both angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are known to be effective in managing cardiovascular diseases, but more evidence supports the use of an ACEI. This study investigated the difference in cardiovascular disease incidence between relatively low-compliance ACEIs and high-compliance ARBs in the clinical setting. METHODS: Patients who were first prescribed ACEIs or ARBs at two tertiary university hospitals in Korea were observed in this retrospective cohort study for the incidence of heart failure, angina, acute myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and major adverse cardiovascular events for 5 years after the first prescription. Additionally, 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used based on the presence or absence of statins. RESULTS: Overall, 2,945 and 9,189 patients were prescribed ACEIs and ARBs, respectively. When compared to ACEIs, the incidence of heart failure decreased by 52% in those taking ARBs (HR [95% CI] = 0.48 [0.39-0.60], P < 0.001), and the incidence of cerebrovascular disease increased by 62% (HR [95% CI] = 1.62 [1.26-2.07], P < 0.001). The incidence of ischemic heart disease (P = 0.223) and major adverse cardiovascular events (P = 0.374) did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: ARBs were not inferior to ACEIs in relation to reducing the incidence of cardiocerebrovascular disease in the clinical setting; however, there were slight differences for each disease. The greatest strength of real-world evidence is that it allows the follow-up of specific drug use, including drug compliance. Large-scale studies on the effects of relatively low-compliance ACEIs and high-compliance ARBs on cardiocerebrovascular disease are warranted in the future.

The short-term effects of angiotensin II receptor blockers on albuminuria and renal function in Korean patients.

Each angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) asserts independent molecular effects. No study has compared the renoprotective potency of different types of ARBs in Korea. This study evaluated the differences among medications for treating albuminuria. Data were obtained from electronic medical records of adult patients who underwent albuminuria test and received treatment with either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or ARBs between January 2009 and June 2016. Patients' albuminuria and renal function data were observed for three months after treatment initiation. In total, 1475 patients were included. Patients treated with ACEIs had no significant changes in albuminuria (from 127.7 ± 55.1 mg/g to 46.7 ± 18.7 mg/g, P = .127), but those treated with ARBs showed significant improvement (from 491.2 ± 33.2 mg/g to 372.0 ± 28.0 mg/g, P < .001). The ARB group had significantly more patients with normal albuminuria after treatment (from 55.8% to 59.3% for normal albuminuria, from 16.7% to 18.5% for moderately increased albuminuria and from 27.5% to 22.2% for severely increased albuminuria, P = .005), but renal function did not change significantly. Subgroup analysis of ARB types showed that candesartan (from 712.5 ± 71.1 to 489.8 ± 57.8 mg/g, P < .001) and irbesartan (from 522.6 ± 65.7 to 352.6 ± 54.3 mg/g, P < .001) had significant effects. Candesartan improved albuminuria in patients older than 60 years (from 506.9 ± 84.2 to 371.9 ± 70.6 mg/g, P = .004) and irbesartan improved albuminuria in patients with glomerular filtration rate <60 (from 551.6 ± 100.0 to 392.4 ± 76.2, P = .007). Only irbesartan and candesartan could reduce albuminuria, suggesting that all ARBs do not have the same outcome. This indicates the importance of optimizing ARB selection, considering both patient condition and organ-specific characteristics of medications.