Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor induced cough in Nigerians

A persistent dry cough is the commonest class of adverse reaction to Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I). This ACE-I induced cough appears to exhibit interracial differences being commoner in Chinese subjects as compared to Caucasians. We conducted a cross sectional study of one hundred (100) patients (63 males and 37 females) on ACE-I to determine the prevalence of ACE-induced cough in Nigerians, a Negroid population. Twenty seven patients (27%) had ACE-induced cough and four (4%) had withdrawal of ACE-I therapy on account of cough. The prevalence of ACE-I induced cough was significantly higher amongst females (43%) as compared to males (17%) p < 0.01. The biological basis for the apparent racial and gender differences in ACE-I induced cough requires further study.