Regardless of the characteristics of patients; patients hospitalised during the previous year, presenting a history of diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypercholesterolemia, LVEF < 40% or functional stage NYHA III or IV, treatment with ACE/or aldosterone antagonist had a higher probability of hospitalisation/death in the first 30 d following the episode (Table 3). This evidence concerns the gene ACE and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.