Captopril versus enalapril maleate: a comparison of antihypertensive and hormonal effects.

The antihypertensive effects of captopril and enalapril maleate were studied over a 10-week period in 24 hypertensive patients randomized into captopril or enalapril treatment groups. Prestudy blood pressure was 171 +/- 4/109 +/- 1 mm Hg and after 4 weeks of hydrochlorothiazide 160 +/- 4/103 +/- 1 (p less than 0.05). With the addition of converting enzyme inhibitor to hydrochlorothiazide the blood pressure decreased at 3 h to 132 +/- 3/87 +/- 2 in the subjects. The diastolic blood pressure decreased acutely more with captopril (-24) than with enalapril (-17) (p less than 0.05). After 10 weeks of combined therapy the depressor response was maintained (134 +/- 3/83 +/- 1) and there was no difference between the diastolic blood pressure in the two groups treated with captopril and enalapril. Acute and chronic responses of plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone, and converting enzyme to the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor were determined. There was a significant correlation between the acute fall in diastolic blood pressure and rise in plasma renin activity in patients treated with captopril but not with enalapril. In conclusion, there is an acute depressor response with converting enzyme inhibition which is more pronounced with captopril than with enalapril and which correlates with an increase in plasma renin activity. With more prolonged treatment, the two drugs show equivalent efficacy in reducing blood pressure, inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme, reducing aldosterone, and stimulating plasma renin activity.