Recent advances in cardiovascular risk reduction: implications of ONTARGET

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) overactivity is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, a finding that may be explained by the key role of the RAAS in stimulating vascular and cardiac remodeling. Inhibition of RAAS activity with the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) has been shown to reduce cardiovascular mortality in patients with heart failure. ACE inhibitors have also been shown to reduce the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and heart failure in high-risk patients without heart failure. These findings led to the evaluation of the ARB telmisartan versus the ACE inhibitor ramipril in the ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET), a cardioprotection trial conducted in high-risk patients without left ventricular dysfunction or heart failure. The results of this trial showed that the ACE inhibitor ramipril and the ARB telmisartan are equally effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular death, MI, stroke, and hospitalization for heart failure in patients without heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction but at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). These results confirm that RAAS inhibition, using ACE inhibitors or ARBs, is an effective approach to reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in patients without heart failure who are at high risk for CVD.