Symptoms of peripheral arterial disease: ramipril

How well does ramipril work?

Two small studies have looked at how well ramipril improves leg pain during exercise (intermittent claudication) in people with peripheral arterial disease. Each study lasted 24 weeks.

A study of 40 people found that those who took ramipril could walk for about 7 and a half minutes longer than those who took placebo (a dummy tablet). People taking ramipril were also able to walk without pain for about 4 minutes more than people taking placebo. A second study of 33 people looked at walking distance instead of walking time. It found that people who took ramipril could walk about 131 metres further, and were pain-free for about 122 metres more than people who took placebo.

Most people in the studies were white. It is known that ramipril works less well in people of African or Caribbean family origin, so the study results may not apply to these groups. Both of the studies compared ramipril with placebo so it is not known how ramipril compares with other treatments such as naftidrofuryl oxalate. The studies lasted for only 24 weeks and it is not known how well ramipril will work over a longer period.

What are the possible harms or side effects?

The most common side effects of ramipril (seen in between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people) include headache, dizziness, tickly cough, inflammation of the sinuses, shortness of breath, upset stomach or gut, rash, cramps or muscle pains, low blood pressure or fainting, chest pain and tiredness.

No side effects were reported in 1 of the studies of ramipril for peripheral arterial disease. The side effect reported most often in the other study was cough, which caused a few people to stop their treatment.