Anna Remková
ACE inhibitors represent one of the most comprehensive approaches to the treatment and prevention of a wide range of cardiovascular conditions, from uncomplicated hypertension up to their end stages. Perindopril is one of the best-studied ACE inhibitors, in which a benefit in hypertension as well as in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) or previous stroke was documented, mainly on the basis of the EUROPA and PROGRESS study. In our present study, perindopril-based therapy (perindopril-arginine, up-titrated 5 - 10 mg once daily) was found to be effective and safe in 1,835 patients (65.2 ± 11.3 years of age) with hypertension and stable CAD. After 3 months of therapy, the significant BP and heart rate (HR) reduction was achieved: SBP from 160.3 ± 15.0 to 133.8 ± 9.9 mmHg, DBP from 95.7 ± 8.8 to 82.3 ± 6.8 mmHg, HR from 74.4 ± 10.7 to 69.6 ± 7.9 beats per min (P = 0,0000, respectively). This reduction was evident also in all the sub-groups according to the gender, co-morbidities (diabetes, dyslipidemia, left ventricle hypertrophy, previous stroke or myocardial infarction) and in positive family history. During the study, no patients withdrew from treatment because of serious side effects.