News and Studies on ACE Inhibitors

ACE Inhibitors are a class of drug that was designed to help patients with high blood pressure.  Specifically, these drugs help to prevent the narrowing of blood vessels in the body, as this narrowing effect is what causes blood pressure to rise.  The circulatory system must perform at a certain level of output, or else a person risks suffering serious damage to the heart and brain in the form of heart attacks and strokes. 

Despite the fact that these drugs were hailed as miraculous when they hit the market, recent news and studies on ACE Inhibitors have shown that there are also serious risks involved with taking these drugs.  The news and studies on ACE Inhibitors has come from different sources, and the statistics and general findings have been uniform in nature. 

Below are some examples of news and studies on ACE Inhibitors that warrants your attention if you have been or are considering taking this type of medication. 

New England Journal of Medicine

In an article published in June of 2006, the New England Journal of Medicine detailed results of a 15-year study of children born in Tennessee.  The children whose mothers took ACE Inhibitors during their first trimester of pregnancy suffered much higher levels of risks of serious birth defects in their unborn children.  These birth defects included malformation of the heart and brain and even fetal death.  The study added to the already-known statistics that these drugs were dangerous for pregnant women taking ACE Inhibitors later in pregnancy. 

FDA Black Box warning: ACE Inhibitors

The FDA has required a “black box” warning be placed on ACE Inhibitors warning women who are in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy of the dangers inherent in taking these medications and the raised potential for birth defects as a result.  These “black box” warnings only appear on drugs where the risk is substantial and the statistics conclusive in regards to dangers present in the drugs. 

Overall, many news outlets have carried stories regarding the dangers of ACE Inhibitors, but that does not mean that if you’ve suffered as a result of taking them that you’re without recourse.  If you have suffered damages as a result of ACE Inhibitors, you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to contact an attorney immediately so that your rights can be protected and enforced, and these pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for their actions.