Acute captopril treatment in elderly hypertensive patients: a controlled study.

We studied the effectiveness of 50 mg captopril in reducing blood pressure in 27 elderly hypertensive patients. Comparison with a placebo group has shown a significant difference 20 and 60 min after administration (dissolved in the mouth). A significant decrease in blood pressure was found at each observation time (10, 20 and 60 min) in the captopril-treated group, whereas in the placebo group there was no significant fall after the first 10 min. Therefore, captopril dissolved in the mouth decreases blood pressure more rapidly than with standard oral consumption, and can be considered a first-choice drug when a rapid decrease in blood pressure is desired.