Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use in the year 2005.

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drug class is one with considerable staying power. ACE inhibitors are not only well established antihypertensive agents but also are compounds that fairly regularly provide end-organ protection. Several of the ACE inhibitors are entangled in an active debate regarding class effect. Class effect for ACE inhibitors is a hopelessly confused term because its definition is not standardized and is subject to interpretation that in many cases is self-serving. For the most part, ACE inhibitor side effects are readily identifiable, and management strategies put in place can be logical and sequential. The future of this drug class remains bright. Other drug classes, such as angiotensin receptor blockers, have narrowed-but not entirely closed-the outcomes gap that exists between these two drug classes.