BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the antihypertensive effect of S-(-)-amlodipine nicotinate with ramipril in patients with essential hypertension. METHODS: Total 138 patients (54.5 +/- 10.5 years, 69 males) were enrolled in this study between 2008 and 2010. Amlodipine 2.5 mg or ramipril 2.5 mg was treated once in a day for 8 weeks. Epidemiologic analysis was performed in intend-to-treat (ITT) group. Efficacy analysis was performed in the differences of diastolic blood pressure in study groups. Abnormal reactions were divided with severities and drug-relationship. RESULTS: The change of diastolic blood pressures were more prominent with -12.7 +/- 7.02 mm Hg in amlodipine group, and -9.6 +/- 7.38 mm Hg in ramipril group (p = 0.023). The change of systolic blood pressures was higher in amlodipine group with -18.1 +/- 7.91 mm Hg, and -14.3 +/- 11.96 mm Hg in ramipril group (p = 0.047). Blood pressure normalization rates were 81.3% (48 of 59 patients) in amlodipine group, and 61.4% (35 of 57 patients) in ramipril group (p = 0.017). Abnormal reaction occurred in 5.8% (4 of 68 patients) of amlodipine group and 14.2% (10 of 70 patients) of ramipril group (p = 0.102). The most frequent abnormal reaction was respiratory symptom. CONCLUSIONS: S-Amlodipine-Nicotinate was more effective than ramipril in hypertensive patients without significant abnormal reaction.
Amlodipine ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Niacin ; Ramipril

Recently, the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) blood pressure (BP) trial enrolled 4733 participants with type 2 diabetes and randomized them to a target systolic blood pressure (SBP) of less than 120 mm Hg or 140 mm Hg. Despite the significant difference in the achieved SBP, there was no significant difference in the incidence of primary outcomes. Based on this evidence, the target SBP for diabetics has been revised in the majority of major guidelines. However, there is a steeper association between SBP and stroke in Asians than other ethnicities, with stroke being the leading cause of cardiovascular mortality. This suggests that target BP in the Asian region should be tailored towards prevention of stroke. In the ACCORD study, the intensive BP treatment was associated with significant reductions in both total stroke and non-fatal stroke. The results from the ACCORD study are supported by a subgroup analysis from the ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) study, which showed that, in diabetic patients, the risk of stroke continues to decrease to a SBP value of 115 mm Hg with no evidence of J curve. As diabetes is highly associated with underlying coronary artery disease, there is a justified concern for adverse effects resulting from too much lowering of BP. In a post hoc analysis of 6400 diabetic subjects enrolled in the International Verapamil SR-Trandolapril (INVEST) study, subjects with SBP of less than 110 mm Hg were associated with a significant increase in all-cause mortality. In the ONTARGET study, at any levels of achieved SBP, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) below 67 mm Hg was associated with increased risk for cardiovascular outcomes. As such, a prudent approach would be to target a SBP of 130–140 mm Hg and DBP of above 60 mm Hg in diabetics with coronary artery disease. In conclusion, hypertension, in association with diabetes, has been found to be significantly correlated with an elevated risk for cardiovascular events. As the association between stroke and BP is stronger in Asians, compared to other ethnicities, consideration should be given for a target BP of 130/80 mm Hg in Asians.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Blood Pressure* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Ramipril ; Stroke ; Verapamil

Thirty three patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were administered ramipril, a new ACe inhibitor, 2.5-5mg once daily for 6 weeks to evaluate the hypotensive efficacy and safety. The results were as follows : 1) The patients consisted of 18 males, 15 females, aged 54 on average and classified as mild in 19 and moderate in 14 patients. 2) At the end of 6 weeks trial, blood pressure dropped 13/6mmHg on average, rewarding 70% effectiveness and normalized below 150/90mmHg in 39%. 3) The most frequent side reaction was dry cough in 5 patients(15%) followed by asthenia, GI trouble, dizziness, edema, eye injection and one case of GPT elevation which normalized after completion of trial. 4) The rating of safety of safety was 79% and of overall usefulness was 73%. In conclusion, ramipril 5mg once daily regimen is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of mild to moderated essential hypertension.
Asthenia ; Blood Pressure ; Cough ; Dizziness ; Edema ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Ramipril* ; Reward

No abstract available.
Antihypertensive Agents ; Hypertension ; Blood Pressure ; Myocardial Ischemia ; telmisartan ; Ramipril ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Because the mechanisms of the biological effects of statin and antiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor therapies differ, the vascular responses to these therapies were studied in hypercholesterolemic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Simvastatin, 20 mg, placebo or ramipril, 10 mg, were administered daily for 2 months, with a 2 month washout, to 32 hypercholesterolemic patients. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover in design study. RESULTS: Simvastatin alone, or in combination with ramipril, significantly changed the lipoproteins, and improved the percentage of the flow-mediated dilator response to hyperemia by 46+/-48% and by 59+/-66%, respectively, relative to the baseline measurements (both p<0.001). The plasma malondialdehyde levels were reduced, relative to baseline measurements, by 6+/-57% (p=0.045) and 13+/-47% (p=0.045 and p<0.001, respectively) and plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 by 3+/-27% and by 9+/-16%, respectively (p=0.113 and p=0.001, respectively). The C-reactive protein were also reduced, relative to baseline measurements, by 17+/-75% and by 17+/-37%, respectively (p=0.003 and p=0.001, respectively). However, simvastatin combined with ramipril changed, to a greater extent, but was statistically insignificant, the percentage of the flow-mediated dilator response to hyperemia, and the plasma monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 levels, than simvastatin alone. CONCLUSION: Compared with simvastatin alone, the addition of ramipril improved the endothelial function to greater extent, but was statistically insignificant, in hypercholes-terolemic patients.
C-Reactive Protein ; Chemokine CCL2 ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Hyperemia ; Inflammation* ; Lipoproteins ; Malondialdehyde ; Nitric Oxide* ; Plasma ; Ramipril* ; Simvastatin*

A 6 year-old, spayed female, Maltese dog was presented with precordial thrill and mild coughing. Thoracic auscultation revealed a grade V/VI systolic murmur with maximal intensity over the left apex characterized by musical murmur. Echocardiography revealed mild myxomatous degeneration of mitral valve and ruptured chordae tendineae. Musical murmur was produced due to the vibration of ruptured piece of chordae tendineae along with regurgitant flow. After treatment with furosemide and ramipril, clinical signs resolved and precordial thrill reduced. This case report describes typical clinical signs and phonocardiogram of musical murmur in a dog with acute chordae tendineae rupture.
Animals ; Auscultation ; Child ; Chordae Tendineae* ; Cough ; Dogs* ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Furosemide ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Music* ; Ramipril ; Rupture* ; Systolic Murmurs ; Vibration

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibition as a means of controlling blood pressure began in the 1970s. This increasing knowledge of ACE inhibitors has resulted in their being used with confidence in a antihyertensive therapy, combining high efficacy with very low levels of side effects. METHOD: In this study, the antihyertensive effect of ramipril was assessed in 28 patients(9 males and 19 females with mean age of 52 years)with mild-to-moderate hypertension. After a placebo run-in phase, patients received ramipril as monotherapy in a dose 2.5 to 5 mg daily for 6 weeks. RESULTS: 1) At the end of 6 weeks, ramipril induced clinically significant reduction in supine(30.1mmHg in systole, 17mmHg in diastole) and sitting(33.4mmHg in systole, 18.5mmHg in diatole)blood pressure. 2) The heart rate was similar after 6 weeks. 3) The most frequent side effect was dry cough in 6 patients(5.6%) followed by dizziness. CONCLUSION: This study indicate that ramipril is effective in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Angiotensins ; Blood Pressure ; Cough ; Dizziness ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Ramipril* ; Systole

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) has emerged as an alternative to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) for the treatment of heart failure. This study aimed at comparing the effectiveness and safety of valsartan with ramipril in patients with heart failure, and these patients were hospitalized at Chonnam National University Hospital, Wonkwang University Hospital, Gunsan Medical Center, Presbyterian Medical Center, Seonam University Hospital and Gwangju Christian Hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Between March 2005 and March 2007, 82 patients (60.5+/-12.4 years, 59 males) who complained of class II to IV dyspnea, according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, and who had low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 50% were randomly allocated to valsartan or ramipril. After 6 months, the clinical symptoms, vital signs, biochemical tests and echocardiography were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The NYHA class was improved in both groups (the valsartan group: 2.31+/-0.51 vs. 1.46+/-0.58, p<0.001; the ramipril group: 2.21+/-0.55 vs. 1.61+/-0.50, p<0.001). The incidence of cough, as measured by the cough index, was significantly lower in the valsartan group than in the ramipril group (p=0.045). The LVEF was improved in both groups (the valsartan group: 36.4+/-8.5% vs. 46.9+/-12.9%, p<0.001; the ramipril group: 35.1+/-8.5% vs. 45.3+/-11.2%, p<0.001). The improvements of the left ventricular end-systolic dimension (p=0.754) and end-diastolic dimension (p=0.998) were not different between the two groups. N-terminal Pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level was improved in both groups (the valsartan group: 2619.6+/-4213.5 vs. 995.4+/-2186.0 pg/mL, p=0.012; the ramipril group: 3267.9+/-4320.0 vs. 828.1+/-1232.8 pg/mL, p=0.009), and there was no difference between the groups (p=0.877). CONCLUSION: Both valsartan and ramipril were effective treatments, with relatively low adverse events, in patients with heart failure.
Angiotensins ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Incidence ; New York ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; Protestantism ; Ramipril ; Receptors, Angiotensin ; Stroke Volume ; Tetrazoles ; Valine ; Ventricular Remodeling ; Vital Signs ; Valsartan

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Imidapril, one of the ACE inhibitor, has been used to treate hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus and renal disease. ACE inhibitor, however often causes dry cough and this adverse effect affects the compliance rate negatively. This report aimed to examine the incidence rate of coughing caused by Imidapril treat-ment. And we compared the results with the incidence and tendency of dry cough caused by the other ACE inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This study enrolled 38 patients who followed up at internal medicine and took Imidapril from the period of May 9, 1997 to December 17, 1997. We tested its effectiveness, safety and tolerance. The initial dosage of it was 5mg/day and the maximum dosage according to blood pressure was 10mg/day for 8 weeks. The tendency and the incidence of dry cough have been analyzed and compared with recently published Korean reports. RESULTS: The 5 mg dosage of Imidapril showed 68.1% in lowering blood pressure rate and it went up to 81.8% during the 8 weeks treatment perriod. The blood pressure regularity rate was 36.3% after the 8 weeks treatment. The overall rate of adverse effect occurrence was 26.1% (6/23) and 8.7% of them were likely to cough. One of the patients who showed nausea stopped medication. The recent articles reported that the incidence of dry cough had been reduced: Enalapril (33.8%), Fosinopril (16%), Ramipril (15%), Imidapril (7.8 - 8.7%), Losartan (4.3%). CONCLUSION: Imidapril is as safe and effective as other ACE inhibitors. Various ACE inhibitors that were newly developed show their effectiveness in lessening incidence rate of dry cough, and Imidapril is thought to be an excellent drug for this matter. Even though Losartan shows the lowest incidence rate of dry cough, it needs to more regular usages since it is still on the stage of its medical adaptation.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Angiotensins* ; Blood Pressure ; Compliance ; Cough* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Enalapril ; Fosinopril ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence* ; Internal Medicine ; Losartan ; Nausea ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A* ; Ramipril

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ramipril and candesartan have decreased the incidence of new onset diabetes in large scale randomized clinical studies. Because ramipril and candesartan have distinct mechanisms of action in the renin angiotensin aldosterone system, we hypothesized that combination therapy would have additive beneficial metabolic effects in patients with hypertension. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-four patients were given ramipril 10 mg and placebo, ramipril 10 mg and candesartan 16 mg, or candesartan 16 mg and placebo daily in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial with three treatment arms and two washout periods (each being 2 months). RESULTS: Ramipril, combination therapy or candesartan significantly increased the plasma adiponectin levels relative to the baseline measurements by 17+/-6% (p=0.038), 25+/-5% (p<0.001), and 14+/-6% (p=0.016), respectively. Combination therapy significantly increased the plasma adiponectin levels more than either ramipril or candesartan alone (p=0.020 by ANOVA). Only combination therapy significantly increased the QUICKI level relative to the baseline measurements (p=0.002). There were no significant correlations between these changes of the metabolic parameters and reduction of the systolic blood pressure (-0.288< or =r< or =0.284) and reduction of the diastolic blood pressure (-0.282< or =r< or =0.190). On multivariate analysis, only the change of adiponectin levels was an independent predictor of the changes in the QUICKI levels (beta=1.549, p=0.040) following combination therapy. CONCLUSION: Ramipril in combination with candesartan increases the plasma adiponectin levels to a greater extent than monotherapy with either drug alone. Only combination therapy significantly improves insulin sensitivity relative to the baseline measurements. The only predictor for the improvement of insulin sensitivity is the increase of plasma adiponectin levels by combination therapy.
Adiponectin* ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Arm ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Plasma* ; Ramipril* ; Renin-Angiotensin System