American College of Cardiology

Aspirin and ACE Inhibitors Found Compatible

(Jun. 1, 1999) In recent years, aspirin and ACE inhibitors have become widely popular for the treatment of a broad range of cardiovascular conditions. Several studies, however, have turned up surprising evidence that aspirin may cause harmful effects in heart failure patients who are taking ACE inhibitors, but no firm consensus of opinion has emerged. Now, new data from a large study from Israel offers some reassurance about the combination of the two drugs. The Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) trial enrolled 11,575 patients with coronary artery disease, of whom 1,247 were taking ACE inhibitors. Half of these patients also took aspirin. BIP patients who took aspirin and ACE inhibitors were less likely to die than BIP patients who only took ACE inhibitors. When the investigators only looked at the subset of 464 patients who had heart failure, use of aspirin in combination with an ACE inhibitor was again found to reduce the risk of death when compared to patients who only took an ACE inhibitor. One possible difference between the BIP study and previous studies is that patients in the BIP trial took lower doses of aspirin (less than 250 mg per day) than patients in the other studies.

The American College of Cardiology, a 24,000-member nonprofit professional medical society and teaching institution, is dedicated to fostering optimal cardiovascular care and disease prevention through professional education, promotion of research, leadership in the development of standards and guidelines, and the formulation of health care policy.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides these news reports of clinical studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology as a service to physicians, the media, the public, and other interested parties. However, statements or opinions expressed in these reports reflect the view of the author(s) and do not represent official policy of the ACC unless stated so.

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