Angiotensin receptor blockers reduce erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The proinflammatory properties of angiotensin II have been well described.1 Indeed, the angiotensin 1 receptor (AT1 receptor) is present and upregulated in the synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).2 Two separate studies, have confirmed the therapeutic effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi)3 and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB)4 on joint inflammation in both mouse and rat. ACEi may differ from ARB as the former tend to be non-specific in their anti-inflammatory effect. To assess the effect of ACEi and ARB on human C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels, a retrospective analysis was performed …