ACE inhibitor (ACE-I)-induced angioedema, with an underreported incidence of 0.1–0.7%, manifests as non-pitting oedema of subcutaneous and submucosal tissues. It becomes life-threatening when involving the larynx. Main risk factors include Black African and Hispanic descent, female gender, age, being a smoker, and a history of ACE-I-induced cough. In most cases the management is based on discontinuation of ACE-I and offering an alternative antihypertensive treatment (e.g., an angiotensin II receptor blocker, i.e., ARB). The discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (e.g., a variant rs34485356 located upstream from the Bradykinin receptor B2 gene on chromosome 14), offers a promise of developing genotype-informed approaches for early prediction and effective prevention.
- Sébastien Rubin
- Maciej Tomaszewski
