Effects of the early ACE inhibition in diabetic nonthrombolyzed patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE - The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the ACE inhibitor zofenopril in a cohort of diabetic patients with nonthrombolyzed anterior acute myocardial infarction who were enrolled in the Survival of Myocardial Infarction Long-Term Evaluation (SMILE) trial. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Among the overall population of 1,512 patients, 303 (20.0%) had diabetes. The primary end point of this study was the effect of treatment on the 6-week combined occurrence of death and severe congestive heart failure (CHF). Secondary end points included the evaluation of the 6-week rate of major cardiovascular events as well as the 1-year survival rate. RESULTS - After 6 weeks of double-blind treatment, zofenopril significantly reduced both the incidence of the primary end point (8.6 vs. 18.3 %; P = 0.019) and the 6-week incidence of severe CHF (0 vs. 7.3%; P = 0.001) in diabetic patients, and the effect was greater than that observed in nondiabetic patients. Conversely, 1-year mortality was significantly reduced among nondiabetic patients (9.1 vs. 13.8%; P = 0.010), whereas in the diabetic population, the decrease did not reach statistical significance (13.7 vs. 16.5%; P = 0.52). CONCLUSIONS - The present data suggest that the clinical outcome of patients with diabetes and myocardial infarction can be significantly improved by early treatment with zofenopril. The lesser effect on 1-year mortality seems to suggest that long-term treatment is probably needed to maintain the benefits of the early ACE inhibition in patients with diabetes.