Altace
Altace is a drug used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure by acting as an ACE Inhibitor. ACE or Angiotensin-converting enzyme creates a protein which can raise blood pressure by shrinking blood vessels. Altace inhibits ACE production, thereby lowering blood pressure in patients. Altace is the only ACE Inhibitor which is proven to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in individuals over 55 years old with a combination of risk factors. Additionally, Altace can be taken in conjunction with other cholesterol and blood pressure lowering medications for especially at risk patients.
Risk factors for high blood pressure include, but are not limited to, Type 1 Diabetes, cigarette smoking, being overweight, Coronary Artery Disease and Peripheral Vascular Disease. Your doctor can help assess your risk factors as well as monitoring your blood pressure and may decide that a prescription blood pressure medication such as Altace is appropriate. In some cases, patients with Type I Diabetes or other risk factors may be prescribed Altace even though their current readings may be considered normal. This use of Altace as a long term preventative regime will hopefully alleviate any blood pressure problems later in life.
Side effects of Altace are uncommon but may include a swelling of the mouth, throat and tongue, low blood sugar in diabetic patients and dizziness due to low blood pressure. Any side effects being experienced should be discussed with a doctor to determine if Altace is the most appropriate course of treatment for your individual needs. Additionally, Altace is classified in Pregnancy Category D by the Food and Drug Administration as it has been proven to have adverse effects on unborn children whose mothers had taken the drug while pregnant. For this reason Altace should not be taken when pregnant or if planning to become pregnant, and should be discontinued under doctor supervision if pregnancy occurs unexpectedly.
Disclaimer: Cliff Schaffer does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article. |
