Ramipril is an oral, non-sulfhydryl ACE inhibitor thought to act in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to decrease vasopressor activity, aldosterone secretion, and bradykinin degradation. Ramipril is generally well tolerated and effective in the treatment of patients aged > or =55 years at high risk for the development of cardiovascular (CV) events, in whom the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and CV death can be significantly reduced. The risk of these CV outcomes may also be reduced with ramipril therapy in various subgroups; these include patients with diabetes mellitus, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or renal insufficiency, and women. Thus, ramipril, in addition to lifestyle interventions, should be considered an important therapy in the prevention of CV outcomes in high-risk patients.