Drug-induced angioedema is a known complication of the use of
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) are a class of medication used primarily for the treatment of hypertension, high blood pressure and heart failure. They work by causing relaxation of blood vessels as well as a decrease i ...
,
angiotensin II antagonists (ARBs), and Angiotensin-Neprilysin Inhibitor LCZ969.
[James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). ''Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology''. (10th ed.). Saunders. .] The
angioedema
Angioedema is an area of swelling ( edema) of the lower layer of skin and tissue just under the skin or mucous membranes. The swelling may occur in the face, tongue, larynx, abdomen, or arms and legs. Often it is associated with hives, which ...
appears to be dose dependent as it may resolve with decreased dose.
Presentation
Angioedema presents itself as an abrupt onset of
non-pitting, non-itchy swelling that involves the
mucosal layers. Some common locations of angioedema are the face, particularly the lips and around the eyes, hands and feet, and genitalia. A rare, yet serious complication is one inside the abdomen, the symptom usually being severe stomach upset, which is much less obvious than the other locations.
Risk factor
Some common ACE Inhibitors are:
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Benazepril
Benazepril, sold under the brand name Lotensin among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. It is a reasonable initial treatment for high blood pressure. It is taken by mouth. Ver ...
(Lotensin)
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Captopril
Captopril, sold under the brand name Capoten among others, is an ACE inhibitor, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor used for the treatment of hypertension and some types of congestive heart failure. Captopril was the first oral ACE inh ...
(Capoten)
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Enalapril
Enalapril, sold under the brand name Vasotec among others, is an ACE inhibitor medication used to treat high blood pressure, diabetic kidney disease, and heart failure. For heart failure, it is generally used with a diuretic, such as furosemide ...
(Vasotec)
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Lisinopril
Lisinopril is a medication of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and is used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and after heart attacks. For high blood pressure it is usually a first-line treatment. It is also used to ...
(Prinivil, Zestril)
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Ramipril
Ramipril, sold under the brand name Altace among others, is an ACE inhibitor type medication used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. It can also be used as a preventative medication in patients over 55 year ...
(Altace)
Some common ARBs are:
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Candesartan
Candesartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker used mainly for the treatment of high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. Candesartan has a very low maintenance dose. The metabolism for the drug is unique as it is a cascading prodrug. Ca ...
(Atacand)
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Losartan
Losartan, sold under the brand name Cozaar among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is in the angiotensin II receptor antagonist, angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) family of medication, and is consider ...
(Cozaar)
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Olmesartan
Olmesartan, sold under the trade name Benicar among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. It is a reasonable initial treatment for high blood pressure. It is taken by mouth. Versi ...
(Benicar)
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Valsartan
Valsartan, sold under the brand name Diovan among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. It belongs to a class of medications referred to as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB ...
(Diovan)
Incidence
The chance of drug-induced angioedema is extremely uncommon, however, as studies show incidence of less than 1%.
[Banerji, Aleena. “Multicenter study of patients with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-induced angioedema who present to the emergency department.” Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (2008); 100: 327-332. Web. 2 Nov 2014] The reason this adverse effect may occur is due to the build-up of
bradykinin
Bradykinin (BK) (Greek brady-, slow; -kinin, kīn(eîn) to move) is a peptide that promotes inflammation. It causes arterioles to dilate (enlarge) via the release of prostacyclin, nitric oxide, and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor and ...
, a vasodilator. This causes blood vessels to dilate and allow for fluid buildup in the mucosal surfaces.
See also
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Angioedema
Angioedema is an area of swelling ( edema) of the lower layer of skin and tissue just under the skin or mucous membranes. The swelling may occur in the face, tongue, larynx, abdomen, or arms and legs. Often it is associated with hives, which ...
*
Skin lesion
A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this s ...
References
2. Angiotensin-Neprilysin Inhibition versus Enalapril in Heart Failure (PARADIGM-HF Investigators); NEJM.org, September 11, 2014; Vol.371, No.11.
External links
Drug eruptions
Drug-induced diseases
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