[The CAPITOL study (Captopril Post Infarction Tolerance). A trial of progressive titration of captopril after myocardial infarct with left ventricular dysfunction].
The objective of CAPITOL (Captopril Post Infarction Tolerance) multicentre open trial was to study the tolerance of a protocol of titration of Captopril in patients with recent myocardial infarction complicated by left ventricular dysfunction. Five hundred and four patients, with a mean age of 62 +/- 12 years, were included during the hospital period in the 74 participating intensive care units, 9 +/- 6 days after myocardial infarction (ejection fraction 34 +/- 6%). After a 6.25 mg test dose of Captopril, the dosage was progressively increased to the target dose of 150 mg at the end of the first month. Of the 504 patients included, 343 finished the trial and 161 stopped the trial prematurely. At the end of the hospital period, 73% received 75 mg/day: at the first follow-up visit (27 +/- 16 days after inclusion), 59% had attained 150 mg/day, this proportion increasing to 71% at the end of the trial (79 +/- 33 days after inclusion). There was no significant change in blood pressure for the whole study population. However, the systolic blood pressure of the patients receiving 150 mg/day of Captopril at the end of the trial was slightly higher than that observed at the end of the hospital period (126 +/- 17 mmHg and 116 +/- 17 mmHg respectively, p = 0.006). Severe Intercurrent events were observed in 89 patients: 24 deaths, 7 recurrent infarctions, 58 hospital admissions (21 for cardiac failure, 15 for recurrence of angina, 11 aorto-coronary bypass operations, 7 coronary angioplasties, 2 cerebro-vascular accidents, 2 systemic emboli). Of the benign complications, hypotension was observed in 25% of patients, nearly half of which occurred during the hospital admission. The drugs prescribed in association with Captopril were Aspirin (78%), betablockers (57%), nitrate derivatives (42%) and diuretics (27%). Multivariate analysis showed 3 factors associated with good tolerance of the 150 mg dosage of Captopril: Killip Class I or II on admission, an ejection fraction > 30% and an initial systolic blood pressure > 100 mmHg. In conclusion, in this trial of dose titration, 3 out of 4 patients with myocardial infarction and left ventricular dysfunction, tolerated the 150 mg/day dosage of Captopril. Patients in the trial could also be treated with drugs recommended after myocardial infarction, in particular the betablockers. Arch Mal Coeur 1999: 92: 395-403.
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*