Modern opportunities for optimising the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease and arterial hypertension: role of zofenopril

The wide prevalence (82%) of coronary heart disease (CHD) in combination with arterial hypertension (AH), as well as its initiating role in the development of fatal complications, such as myocardial infarction (MI) or heart failure, emphasise the need for the choice of optimal ACE inhibitors with organ-protective characteristics. This paper presents a literature review on the effectiveness of a SH-containing ACE inhibitor zofenopril in patients with CHD and AH, in terms of its anti-anginal and antihypertensive activity. The authors summarise the results of the international SMILE studies which included patients after acute MI. It was demonstrated that zofenopril therapy is associated with reduced combined incidence of cardiovascular death or cardiovascular hospitalisation, and is also safe in the acute post-MI period. In patients with preserved left ventricular function, zofenopril reduced the incidence of angina attacks and arrhythmias of coronary genesis, as well as improved exercise capacity. A clinical case of zofenopril therapy, as a part of a complex treatment regimen, is also presented.