A 65-year-old female with a history of hypertension and diabetes presents with dry cough that has persisted for 3 weeks. She takes metformin, atorvastatin, and lisinopril. What could be the cause of her symptoms, and what are the next steps?
The patient's dry cough may be a side effect of lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor. ACE inhibitors can cause a persistent, dry cough in some patients. An appropriate next step would be to discuss with the patient the possibility of switching to another class of antihypertensive medication, such as an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), which has similar benefits but is less likely to cause a cough.