Shopping Cart

Description	Qty	Price
The Harvard Medical School 6-Week Plan for Healthy Eating (Print - Free U.S. Shipping!)		$20.00
Improving Memory: Understanding Age-Related Memory Loss (PDF - Lowest Price!)		$18.00
Harvard Health Letter (Print & Online Access (PDF)!)		$16.00
Subtotal		$54.00

Update Cart

Checkout

Please note: If you have a promotional code you'll be prompted to enter it prior to confirming your order.

Customer Sign In

Returning Customer

If you have an account, please sign in.

New Customers

If you subscribe to any of our print newsletters and have never activated your online account, please activate your account below for online access. By activating your account, you will create a login and password. You only need to activate your account once.

Activate My Account

Harvard Heart Letter

Heart Beat: ACE, ARB duet questioned

Heart Beat

ACE, ARB duet questioned

Published: December, 2007

An overproduction of stress hormones contributes to the symptoms of heart failure. ACE inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) counteract the effects of these hormones in different ways. Does that mean taking an ACE inhibitor and an ARB offers double protection?

A report in the Oct. 8, 2007 Archives of Internal Medicine warns that the side effects of combining them might outweigh the benefits. In this analysis of four large trials, heart failure patients taking both drugs were more likely than those taking just an ACE inhibitor to develop kidney trouble, a high potassium level, or experience dizziness or falls due to low blood pressure. In the trials, taking an ACE inhibitor and an ARB reduced hospitalizations for heart failure but didn't improve survival. While not the final answer, this study is sure to spark more research on the benefits and risks of this increasingly popular drug combination.

To continue reading this article, you must login.

Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.

Research health conditions
Check your symptoms
Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
Find the best treatments and procedures for you
Explore options for better nutrition and exercise

Learn more about the many benefits and features of joining Harvard Health Online »

Related Articles
Related Topics

4 ways to eat your way to lower cholesterol

5 ways to use less salt

7 ways to reduce stress and keep blood pressure down

Six steps to cognitive health

Foods linked to better brainpower

Coping with anger while grieving

Treating a pinched nerve

4 ways to turn good posture into less back pain

Why your feet get bigger as you age

The active ingredients of tai chi

4 ways to get better sleep

Better sleep, naturally

Can diet help fight prostate cancer?

Most melanomas start as new spots

Factors that increase your risk for a secondary cancer

Healthy eating for blood sugar control

How to get more fiber in your diet

Common causes of constipation

5 natural ways to overcome erectile dysfunction

4 tips for coping with an enlarged prostate

Can diet help fight prostate cancer?

Keeping bones strong

Don't fall for these skin myths

What's your t-score? Bone density scans for osteoporosis

Heart Beat: ACE, ARB duet questioned

Heart Beat

ACE, ARB duet questioned

Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.

Related Articles

Related Topics