First-line drugs inhibiting the renin angiotensin system versus other first-line antihypertensive drug classes for hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS: All-cause death is similar for first-line RAS inhibitors and first-line CCBs, thiazides and beta-blockers. There are, however, differences for some morbidity outcomes. First-line thiazides caused less HF and stroke than first-line RAS inhibitors. First-line CCBs increased HF but decreased stroke compared to first-line RAS inhibitors. The magnitude of the increase in HF exceeded the decrease in stroke. Low-quality evidence suggests that first-line RAS inhibitors reduced stroke and total CV events compared to first-line beta-blockers. The small differences in effect on blood pressure between the different classes of drugs did not correlate with the differences in the morbidity outcomes.
PMID: 30480768 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews - November 14, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: Chen YJ, Li LJ, Tang WL, Song JY, Qiu R, Li Q, Xue H, Wright JM Tags: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Source Type: research