ACE and atherosclerosis: This is the case, for example, for elderly patients or those with pathologies that involve the loss of integrity of the afferent arterioles, such as in the course of hypertensive nephrosclerosis, diabetic vasculopathy, and marked atherosclerosis; or in case of use of drugs that interfere with the adaptation mechanisms, such as inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis, e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or the activity of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), the ACE inhibitors, or angiotensin II receptor antagonists, sartans.