Avanzini F, Santoro L, Ferrario G, Peci P, Giani P
Early treatment with lisinopril after acute myocardial infarction: Are risks greter than benefits in hypertensives? Results of the GISSI-3 database
12th Annual ASH Meeting
Am J Hypertens (Apr) 10:80A 1997

The authors propose that excessive BP reduction (after an acute MI ?), may be harmful in patients with EH. Therefore, they conducted a retrospective analysis of the data from 19,294 patients in the "GISSI-3 year study" where 39 % of cases had EH.

Patients were randomly assigned to either lisinopril ( L= 3,720 EH, and 5,297 NT), or no L ( 3,642 EH and 5,364 NT). The results (See original Table) shows the mortality for days 0-1, 2-42, and 0-42. Mortality was higher for hypertensives, as expected, in all study periods, regardless of L treatment. For days 0-2, mortality was 2 % for EH and 1.8 % for NT and = 1.12 (0.8 1.58), significance not given. On the other hand mortality was reduced by L treatment from 7.6 % to 6.7 % and O.R. = 0.89 (0.74 1.07), for days 2-42. The authors conclude that L is less effective after acute MI in patients with a history of EH, because of lack of benefit in the first 2 days, and the possible risk of hypotension.

Comment: One can also conclude that except for the first day results , lisinopril was effective in reducing mortality at all other time periods after an MI. The view that ACE inhibitors offer protection in this setting is also supported by a similar abstract by Gustafsson et al from Denmark. (Armando Lindner, M.D., University of Washington, Seattle)

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12th Annual ASH Meeting
H: Drug therapy : ACE inhibitors
H: Pathophysiology : Heart in hypertension