Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition With Enalapril Slows Progressive Intima-Media Thickening of the Common Carotid Artery in Patients With Non–Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Background and Purpose—Whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have any clinically significant antiatherogenic effects in humans remains unproven. We undertook a prospective randomized clinical trial of 98 patients with non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) to examine the efficacy of ACE inhibition with enalapril for preventing intima-media (IM) thickening of the carotid wall as measured ultrasonographically. Methods—Ninety-eight NIDDM patients were randomly assigned either to enalapril at 10 mg/d (n=48) or to a control group (n=50); the planned duration of the trial was 2 years. All patients were seen at baseline (study entry) and 2 subsequent formal annual evaluations, in addition to standard clinical management for NIDDM. IM thickening and vascular lumen diameters were determined for all patients on the basis of baseline and 2 subsequent annual evaluations with carotid ultrasonography. We performed an intent-to-treat analysis to assess changes in IM thickening over the course o...