Heart Disease Health Center

ACE Inhibitors Help All Heart Patients

Second Opinion

Two drug researchers who weighed in on the issue in an editorial published with the study remain unconvinced.

Giuseppe Remuzzi and Piero Ruggenenti, of Italy's Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, take issue with the conclusions from the new analysis. They write that ACE inhibitors appear to offer "no added benefit to low-risk patients already on aspirin, beta blockers, and statins."

American Heart Association spokesman Richard Stein, MD, tells WebMD that patients with heart disease should discuss their treatment options with their doctor, including whether to add an ACE inhibitor to the drugs they are already taking.

Stein is director of preventive cardiology at New York City's Beth Israel Medical Center.

"The question, 'Do I add an ACE inhibitor to what I am already doing to reduce my risk?' is a reasonable one, and for many patients the answer will be 'yes,'" Stein says.