Ramipril therapy shows promise for pain-free walking

CHICAGO – Among patients with peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication (pain in the calf that comes and goes, typically felt while walking), 24 weeks of treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor ramipril was associated with improvement in pain-free and maximum walking times and the physical health aspect of quality of life, according to a study appearing in the February 6 issue of JAMA.

Approximately 27 million individuals in Europe and North America have peripheral artery disease (PAD). Intermittent claudication occurs in approximately one-third of patients with PAD and typically presents as pain within leg muscle groups that occurs during walking but is relieved by rest. Patients with intermittent claudication have significant impairment in ambulatory function, resulting in functional disability and significant lifestyle limitation. Treatment of these patients is aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk, increasing functional performance, and improving health-related quality of life, according to background information in the article.

Pilot trial with ramipril

Current drug treatments to improve walking distance have limited efficacy. A pilot trial with ramipril showed promising results. However, that trial was small and the findings were restricted to a subset of patients who comprise approximately one-half of all patients with claudication.

Anna A. Ahimastos, Ph.D., of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, and colleagues conducted a study to examine the association of ramipril therapy on walking distance and health-related quality of life as compared with placebo in a larger, more general PAD population. The randomized, placebo-controlled trial included 212 patients with peripheral artery disease (average age, 65.5 years), initiated in May 2008 and completed in August 2011. Patients were randomized to receive 10 mg/d of ramipril (n = 106) or matching placebo (n = 106) for 24 weeks. The primary outcome measures for the study were maximum and pain-free walking times, as recorded during a standard treadmill test. The Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) and Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) were used to assess walking ability and quality of life, respectively.