ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME- INHIBITORS ASSOCIATED COUGH: A PROSPECTIVE EVALUATION IN HYPERTENSIVES

Background/Objective: To determine the prevalence of ACE-Is induced cough among Nigerian hypertensives and evaluate any association with patients’ age or sex. Methods: A prospective case-control study.One hundred and sixty-eight hypertensive patients on angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitors (ACE-Is; captopril and lisinopril) were matched in age and sex with controls that were on anti-hypertensives that excluded ACE-Is (nifedipine, aldomet and moduretic). Both groups of patients were followed up on either drug as a monotherapy over an average of 9 months. Results: The prevalence of ACE-Is induced cough was 20.2%, while that of the alternative group was 0.6%. There was a significant statistical difference between ACE-Is and the alternatives medications-induced cough: OR=42.37(95%CI; 6.11-843.32), P 0.0001.There was however, no significant statistical difference between captopril and lisinopril-induced cough, OR=1.30 (95%CI;0. 6-2.81), P value=0.587 and no significant age or sex differences were observed in the occurrence of cough; OR=0.97 (95%CI; 0.52-1.81), P value= 0.95 and OR=0.79(95%CI; 0.27-2.28), P value=0.808 respectively. Conclusion: Cough complicating ACE-Is therapy is not uncommon; however, it has no link with the patients’ age or sex.