JOURNAL ARTICLE
RESEARCH SUPPORT, NON-U.S. GOV'T
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

The safety of combining angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors with angiotensin-receptor blockers in elderly patients: a population-based longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: The risks associated with using an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and an angiotensin-receptor blocker together are unclear. This study was designed to determine the safety of combination therapy with these two drugs in clinical practice.

METHODS: We conducted a population-based longitudinal analysis using linked administrative and laboratory data for elderly patients who were new users of an ACE inhibitor, an angiotensin-receptor blocker or a combination of both medications between May 1, 2002, and Dec. 31, 2006. We compared outcomes in patients given combination therapy versus patients given monotherapy using Cox proportional hazards analyses with adjustment for baseline characteristics.

RESULTS: Of the 32,312 new users of either medication (mean age 76.1 years, median creatinine level 92 μmol/L), 1750 (5.4%) received combination therapy. However, 1512 (86.4%) of the patients who were given combination therapy did not have trial-established indications such as heart failure or proteinuria. Renal dysfunction was more common among patients given combination therapy (5.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.4 to 7.9] events per 1000 patients per month) than among patients given monotherapy (2.4 [95% CI 2.2 to 2.7] events per 1000 patients per month) (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.36, 95% CI 1.51 to 3.71). Hyperkalemia was also more common among patients given combination therapy (2.5 [95% CI 1.4 to 4.3] events per 1000 patients per month) than among patients given monotherapy (0.9 [95% CI 0.8 to 1.0] events per 1000 patients per month) (adjusted HR 2.42, 95% CI 1.36 to 4.32). Most patients took combination therapy for only a short time (median three months before at least one agent was stopped).

INTERPRETATION: Combination therapy was frequently prescribed for patients without established indications and was associated with an increased risk of adverse renal outcomes when compared with monotherapy. These results mirrored data from randomized controlled trials.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app