Who Needs an ACE Inhibitor?

Maintaining wellness is important for everyone with good lifestyle habits, like eating healthy food, exercising and non-smoking, as well as regular blood pressure monitoring. People with high blood pressure (also called hypertension) may also need to include special daily prescriptions, like ACE inhibitors, to help keep their blood pressure at a normal level. All together, these practices help prevent premature deadly consequences, such as heart attack, stroke, and death.

What are ACE inhibitors?

ACE inhibitors are a type of common high blood pressure medication. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (AMA), 2003, credited on page 8 of the June 2003 issue of Consumer Reports, blood pressure medications, such as ACE inhibitors, are meant to be taken daily to prevent high blood pressure episodes in people diagnosed with high blood pressure disorder. ACE inhibitors are not a quick fix to be taken on occasions when blood pressure is high.

There are at least nine different ACE (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) inhibitor choices doctors may choose from, in treating a patient's high blood pressure, with each having a generic equivalent, according to drugs.com: Aceon, Accupril, Altace, Capotin, Lotensin, Mavik, Monopril, Prinivil, Vasotec, and Zestril.

What does an ACE inhibitor inhibit, or block? From webmd.com, ACE inhibitors block an enzyme that narrows blood vessels, so blood vessels can relax, allowing blood easier and blood pressure to go down. They also help water and sodium (salt) to be expelled through the urine, also lowering blood pressure.

Who Needs an ACE inhibitor?

Normal blood pressure range is 119/79 and lower. ACE inhibitors are not prescribed for people having consistent blood pressure readings in this range. Healthy living habits and continued blood pressure checks to monitor for changes are all that these people need.

Otherwise healthy people have pre-hypertension when their blood pressure range is between 120/80 and 139/89, according to the American Heart Association (AMA). Treatment for these people to obtain and keep healthy blood pressure includes good lifestyle habits like regular exercise, low-fat, low-salt, low-alcoholic consumption, and non-smoking. Prescription drugs, like ACE inhibitors, are not generally recommended to people with consistent pre-hypertension blood pressure readings under 140/90.

Some pre-hypertension people with blood pressure between 120/80 to 139/89 may need a prescription, like an ACE inhibitor, to maintain healthy blood pressure. Such patients are those already dealing with kidney disease, heart disease and/or diabetics along with these consistent blood pressure readings, according to the AMA.

Stage 1 high blood pressure (hypertension) is when blood pressure is between 140/90 to 159/99. Prescriptions, like ACE inhibitors, are needed to control blood pressure levels for patients with this range of systolic/diastolic readings, according to the AMA. One drug may be enough to help control blood pressure at normal range, but a supplemental prescription of a diuretic is not uncommon. Diuretics help to get the salts and extra water out of the body to help maintain a healthy blood pressure level.

Stage 2 high blood pressure (hypertension) is a dangerous level of blood pressure, reading at 160/100 and higher. An immediate consultation with a doctor is recommended under these conditions, according to the AMA and Medical News Today. Generally, two prescriptions are needed to help these patients control this level of high blood pressure, along with mandatory healthy life style management with eating habits, non-smoking, and exercise.

The Bottom Line

Even those who think they are not at risk for hypertension should regularly check their blood pressure. Hypertension is a silent killer, because there are most often no notable symptoms at all. If a patient is already taking healthy steps to monitor his or her blood pressure, along with good health lifestyle habits, then if the blood pressure begins to creep up, the issue can be addressed quickly and dangerous health issues may be prevented with the help of an ACE inhibitor prescription.

Blood pressure monitor stations are available for free public use at most retail pharmacies and large grocery stores with pharmacy departments. Personal blood pressure monitors are also available for purchase in convenient home use.

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