Risks are reduced when angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers are held before noncardiac surgery
Clinical question: Is withholding angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) prior to noncardiac surgery associated with a lower risk of a 30-day composite outcome of all-cause death, myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery, and stroke when compared with continuing them on the day of surgery?
Background: The current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines recommend continuing ACEI and ARBs for noncardiac surgery. However, many clinicians, including anesthesiologists, withhold these medications to prevent intraoperative hypotension. Because of the lack of strong evidence regarding clinical outcomes, the decision to withhold ACEI and ARBs prior to noncardiac surgery is currently dictated by physician preference and local policy.
Study Design: Prospective cohort study.
Setting: Analysis sample from the VISION study (Vascular Events in Noncardiac Surgery Patients Cohort Evaluation), which included 12 centers in eight countries.
Synopsis: A sample analysis was performed on 14,687 patients from the VISION study, who were at least 45 years old and undergoing noncardiac surgery and who required an overnight hospital admission. A total of 4,802 patients were taking ACEI/ARBs at baseline, and, for 1,245 (25.9%) of those patients, ACEI/ARBs were withheld at least 24 hours before surgery. Using multivariable regression models, the authors found that patients for whom ACEI/ARBs were withheld were less likely to suffer from the primary composite outcome of 30-day all-cause death, myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery, and stroke (12% vs 12.9%; adjusted relative risk, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.7-0.96; P = .01). Withholding ACEI/ARBs prior to surgery was also associated with less risk of clinically important intraoperative hypotension, while the risk of postoperative hypotension was similar between the two groups.
Given that this was an observational study, analysis is limited because of the inability to account for every potential confounding factor.
Bottom Line: The study suggests a lower risk of postoperative death, stroke, and myocardial injury in patients for whom ACEI/ARBs were withheld prior to noncardiac surgery. A large randomized trial is needed to confirm the findings suggested by this analysis.
Citation: Roshanov PS, Rochwerg B, Patel A, et al. Withholding versus continuing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers before noncardiac surgery.” Anesthesiology. 2017 Jan;126(1):16-27.
Dr. Libot is assistant professor in the division of hospital medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Ill.
