[Captopril in a single daily dose in arterial hypertension in the elderly. The Badajoz cooperative study. The Badajoz Cooperative Group].

The response to the therapy with captopril administered in one daily dose (between 25 and 100 mg) to a group of 468 old patients with arterial hypertension has been studied. In 87% of the cases, normalization of the arterial pressure was achieved at six months (values lower than 160/95 mmHg). The therapy resulted in a progressive reduction during the follow-up period, with a significant initial reduction (p < 0.001). Just 7.5% of the patients needed the administration of diuretics in addition to the therapy. Just nine patients had to discontinue the follow-up due to side effects (dry cough in 4; gastrointestinal disorders in 4; postural hypertension in 1 case). We conclude that captopril administered in one daily dose is a safe and effective therapy for the treatment of mild to moderate arterial hypertension among the elderly.