Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration warned Friday that the use by pregnant women of a commonly prescribed class of drugs to treat high blood pressure can seriously harm or even kill a developing fetus. The agency decided not to ban the class of drugs because it is valuable for many patients, while its risks are unique to pregnant women, said FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler.

A popular class of drugs used to treat high blood pressure appears to cause birth defects when taken in the first trimester of pregnancy and should be avoided by women of childbearing age, according to a new study. Women who took ACE inhibitors in the early stages of pregnancy were 2.7 times more likely to have babies with birth defects than women who were not on anti-hypertensive medication, researchers reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A popular class of drugs used to treat high blood pressure appears to cause birth defects when taken in the first trimester of pregnancy and should be avoided by women of childbearing age, according to a new study. Women who took ACE inhibitors in the early stages of pregnancy were 2.7 times more likely to have babies with birth defects than women who were not on anti-hypertensive medication, researchers reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Food and Drug Administration warned Friday that the use by pregnant women of a commonly prescribed class of drugs to treat high blood pressure can seriously harm or even kill a developing fetus. The agency decided not to ban the class of drugs because it is valuable for many patients, while its risks are unique to pregnant women, said FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler.