Do ACE inhibitors and other antihypertensive drugs differ in tolerability?
In the 3 comparative trials designed to assess this question15,16,17 patients receiving ACE inhibitors did not fare significantly worse or better than those receiving other classes of drugs in terms of withdrawal due to adverse effects or measures of quality of life. The most frequent problematic adverse effect with ACE inhibitors is a dry cough, which occurs in approximately 10% of patients; in half of these patients the cough is intolerable and necessitates discontinuation of therapy.20 Cough is a class effect, occurring with all ACE inhibitors, and there are no clear differences between the various drugs in terms of prevalence or severity of the effect.
