Cardiovascular Drugs USMLE Step 1 Practice Question

A 72-year-old man with a history of hypertension and chronic kidney disease (stage 3) presents to his primary care physician complaining of a persistent dry, nonproductive cough that began approximately 3 weeks ago. He denies fever, chills, wheezing, shortness of breath, or recent upper respiratory infection. His blood pressure today is 148/92 mmHg, heart rate is 76 bpm, respiratory rate is 16 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Lung auscultation reveals clear breath sounds bilaterally with no wheezes or crackles. He has been taking lisinopril 10 mg daily for 2 years, which had previously provided adequate blood pressure control. His current serum creatinine is 2.1 mg/dL, slightly above his baseline of 1.9 mg/dL, and his potassium is 4.8 mEq/L. A chest radiograph shows no infiltrates or pulmonary edema. Which of the following best explains his cough?