title: ACE inhibitor use and mortality reduction: do controlled trial results equal clinical practice?
abstract: Randomized trials have shown that angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) reduce mortality and morbidity and improve symptoms in many patients with heart failure. However, recent data show that the rate of ACEI prescriptions in West Virginia Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with heart failure is not increasing. Data from the charts of patients who were discharged from 44 acute care hospitals during 2000 and 2001 were obtained, and these data were matched with current beneficiary data to determine if and when the patient died subsequent to the hospitalization of record. We examined data from 5,144 patients with heart failure for whom we had information on ACEI use, comorbidities, and contraindications, in addition to basic demographics. Patients who received angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were excluded. Of these patients, 863 were eligible for ACEls, and 716 (83%) were discharged on an ACEI. Logistic regression showed that being discharged on an ACEI had a significant negative association with mortality one year later (P = .0009), reducing mortality in patients with heart failure by about one third.
authors.affiliation: West Virginia Medical Institute, Charleston, USA.
authors.forename: Charles P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Schade
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hannah
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rezek
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Brehm
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D015897:Comorbidity; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014903:West Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors