title: Orally active angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (SO 14,225) as a treatment for essential hypertension.
abstract: 1 Captopril (SQ14,225), an orally active inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme, was administered to nine patients with essential hypertension. Plasma renin activity (PRA) was low in four, 'normal' in three and high in two patients. 2 In the hospital, captopril alone induced a significant drop in BP from 165 +/- 6/106 +/- 2 to 140 +/- 5/90 +/- 1 mmHb (P less than 0.001). PRA increased concomitantly (P less than 0.05), whereas plasma-converting enzyme activity (P less than 0.005) and plasma aldosterone (P less than 0.05) were reduced. 3 Six patients underwent chronic ambulatory therapy with captopril for a mean of 16 +/- 3 weeks. After discharge from the hospital, BP remained normalized but in five out of six patients this required additional diuretic therapy. 4 The results suggest that captopril alone or combined with diuretic therapy provides a new, efficient and well tolerated tool to treat patients with essential hypertension independently of their PRA level. It may turn out to be more effective in lowering BP than beta-adrenoceptor-blocking agents.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011392:Proline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000450:Aldosterone; D011392:Proline; D012083:Renin