A Clinical Study on the Hypotensive Effect of Captopril

Antihypertensive effect of angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitor Captopril was studied in 34 cases of essential hypertension. A single oral dose of 50mg Captopril was administered daily and blood pressure was followed every 2 weeks. Diuretics were added to patients who responded inadequately after 2 weeks of Captopril single treatment. Alpha-blocker, beta-blocker or calcium channel-blocker was added to patients who responded inadequately after another 2 weeks of Captopril and diuretics combined treatment. In 5 cases, Captopril was raised to 100mg and further antihypertensives were added to unresponded 3 cases.

The resuts were as follows;

1) In 15 patients, blood pressure dropped from 170.3±10.5mmHg/108.7±6.1mmHg to 148.3±4.4mmHg/93.3±3.7mmHg after 8 weeks of Captopril 50mg single therapy.

2) Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg was added to non-responders, and blood pressure dropped from 180±6.7mmHg/111.1±6.2mmHg to 155.0±15.0mmHg/106.2±8.7mmHg in 9 of 19 patients after 8 weeks of combined treatment.

3) Alpha-blocker, Beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker was added to 10 non-responders to Captopril-hyprochlorothiazide combination therapy, and blood pressure dropped from 189.0±27mmHg/116±10mmHg to 137.8±15.5mmHg/88.5±10.2mmHg after 8 weeks.

4) Increase of captopril from 50mg to 100mg in 5 random nonresponder cases of Captopril single treatment lowered blood pressure from 168.0±13.6mmHg/107.1±6.4mmHg to 161±15.2mmHg/99±8.8mmHg after 2 weeks.

5) Heart rate, and serum creatinine, electrolytes and lipid levels showed no significant interval change.

6) Six patients complained of dry cough and one patient complained of poor appetite but no other clinically significant complications were noted during Captopril treatment.