Do Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers Decrease the Risk of Hospitalization Secondary to Community-Acquired Pneumonia? A Nested Case-Control Study

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Abstract
Study Objective. As studies have shown that angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may lower the risk of developing pneumonia by increasing the cough reflex, we sought to explore the potential association between use of ACE inhibitors and the risk of hospitalization secondary to community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP). To test this hypothesis further, we also looked at the risk for CAP in those taking angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), as these drugs have a similar mechanism of action to that of ACE inhibitors but have minimal or no effect on the cough reflex. In addition, the putative protection against pneumonia may instead be related to general inhibition of the renin‐angiotensin system.