Research
Hormonal
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may improve muscle function and walking speed in older people, particularly those with cardiovascular issues or peripheral vascular disease.
If you are already prescribed ACE inhibitors for heart or blood pressure issues, you may see some improvement in walking speed and muscle strength as a bonus. It is not prescribed solely for sarcopenia, but it helps.
ModerateConditionalMEDIUM confidence
Observational studies have shown that the long-term use of ACE inhibitors was associated with a lower decline in muscle strength and walking speed in older hypertensive people... One study looking at functionally impaired older people without heart failure has shown that ACE inhibitors increase 6-minute walking distance to a degree comparable to that achieved after 6 months of exercise training.
Why this rating
Based on observational studies and a few interventional studies, but further RCTs are required.
Source
Optimal management of sarcopenia
Deepa Sumukadas · Clinical Interventions in Aging · 2010
DOI 10.2147/cia.s11473
narrative_reviewCited 302×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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