What Are the Benefits of ACE Inhibitor Blood Pressure Medicine?

There are many types of medications used to lower blood pressure levels, with each type functioning a different way in your body. One commonly-prescribed class of drugs are ACE inhibitors.

Function

• ACE inhibitors work by blocking the production of a chemical known as angiotensin II, which causes your blood vessels to narrow or constrict. Without the presence of angiotensin II, your blood vessels relax and open up.

Effects

• The widening of your blood vessels not only helps to lower blood pressure, it also takes stress away from your heart and kidneys. This makes ACE inhibitors an effective treatment for heart disease, heart attacks and certain types of kidney failure, a benefit not found in all blood pressure medications.

Types

• There are many types of ACE inhibitor drugs available, including captopril, lisinopril, ramipril, enalapril and benazepril. This gives you options if you are sensitive to the ingredients in any one medication.

Risks

• One reason that doctors often prefer to prescribe ACE Inhibitors is that their side effects are very uncommon and do not affect many patients, according to the Mayo Clinic. Possible risks associated with ACE inhibitors are elevated potassium levels, rashes, dizziness, light-headedness, reduced appetite and swelling in your extremities.

Considerations

• ACE inhibitors are not safe to be taken during pregnancy, warns the Mayo Clinic. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like naproxen and ibuprofen reduce the effectiveness of ACE inhibitors and should not be taken together.