[Treatment of severe resistant arterial hypertension with captopril. 58 patients, including 38 treated for more than 6 months (author's transl)].

Of 58 patients treated with captopril, 3 have now received the drug for more than 2 years and 22 for more than one year. This study concerns 38 patients treated for 6 months, captopril having been given alone during the first 2 months. They all had severe hypertension (diastolic BP Greater Than 110 mmHg) which had resisted previous treatments in normally effective doses, including at least one beta-blocker, dihydralazine and a diuretic. After 6 months blood pressure levels were normal in 53% of the patients, reduced in 31% and unchanged in 16%. Clinical improvement was habitual with, in particular, disappearance or decrease of tiredness and dyspnoea. Since some side-effects of the drug, such as granulopenia, proteinuria and ageusia, are mainly observed with high dosage, captopril is usually administered in doses lower or equal to 400 mg/day. In resistant or malignant hypertension it must be used in combination with salt-free diet, a beta-blocker and/or prazosin. Clinical, haematological and renal surveillance is necessary during treatment. When these precautions are observed, captopril constitutes a very useful drug for the treatment of patients with severe resistant hypertension.