[A comparison of the effect of oral captopril and nicardipine in hypertensive crisis].

BACKGROUND

Hypertensive crisis is defined as a severe elevation in blood pressure (BP) without target organ injury. There are few data about the efficacy and safety of comparative oral antihypertensive drugs.

AIM

To compare the efficacy and safety of oral captopril (25 mg) and nicardipine (20 mg) in hypertensive crisis.

METHODS

This prospective, randomized study included 50 patients attended at the emergency department with a hypertensive crisis (arterial blood pressure of at least 180/110 mmHg without target organ damage confirmed after 15 min of rest. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) were assessed at several intervals during 4 h after the drug administration. Therapeutic success was defined by a SBP< or =160 and DBP< or =90 mmHg two hours after drug administration. The initial clinical characteristics as age, sex, initial systolic and diastolic BP and HR were no different in the two groups.

RESULTS

BP levels started to significantly decrease within 15 minutes. At 2 hours, SBP and DBP dropped were similar in captopril group and nicardipine group,respectively to 162/94 vs 161/89 mmHg; p=ns. The therapeutic success at the second hour has been obtained in 68% of cases in the two groups. Age >70 years was a predictor's factor of therapeutic failure in the captopril group. Heart rate significantly dropped after 30 min in the captopril group (82.3 +/- 11.8 vs 77.6 +/- 12.7 c/min; p=0.037). This effect was maintained over four hours. There were no side effects in this study.

CONCLUSION

Oral captopril or nicardipine are efficacy and safe in the treatment of hypertensive crisis.