title: Captopril at 50 mg as well as at 100 mg once a day reduces blood pressure for up to 24 h: a double-blind randomized crossover study in mild to moderate hypertensives.
abstract: The extent and the duration of the antihypertensive effect of captopril, given once a day at a dose of 50 mg, compared with placebo and with the 100 mg once daily dose was studied in 30 mild or moderate uncomplicated essential hypertensives (mean +/- s.e.m. age 52.0 +/- 1.5 years), who responded (mean blood pressure decrease greater than 10%) to a single oral dose (12.5 mg) of captopril. According to a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, they were given 50 mg captopril four times a day, 100 mg captopril four times a day or matched placebo for 1 month. At the end of each treatment period blood pressure and heart rate were measured every 30 min from 3 h before to 2 h after the last dose. Although the heart rate did not change, mean blood pressure after the 50- and 100-mg doses of captopril was consistently significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) lower than after placebo. The hypotensive effect peaked at the second hour and was still significant 24 h after dosing without any significant differences between the 50- and the 100-mg doses. These findings indicate that captopril, given chronically once a day at a dose of 50 mg to mild to moderate hypertensive responders, exerts its hypotensive effect up to 24 h and that doubling the dose does not increase either the extent or the duration of its action.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medical, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salvetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Circo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raciti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulizia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cardillo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miceli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Botta
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002216:Captopril / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002216:Captopril