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European Heart Journal 1992 13(8):1135-1137;
Copyright © 1992 by the European Society of Cardiology.
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© 1992 The European Society of Cardiology

Regression of structural vascular changes in hypertensives after captopril treatment

S. NOVO*,, M. G. ABRIGNANI, A. PINTO{dagger} and A. STRANO{dagger}

*Chair of Clinical Pathophysiology, University of Catania and Post-Graduate Schools of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, University of Palermo Italy
{dagger}Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Palermo Italy
{ddagger}Department of Internal, Medicine, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’ Italy

Received 10 July 1991; revised 6 January 1992; .

Correspondence Prof. Salvatore Novo, Viale delle Alpi, 86, 90144, Palermo, Italy.

Abstract

In order to investigate whether hypertension-related structural vascular changes may be influenced by antihypertensive treatment, 10 patients were studied suffering from essential arterial hypertension, five males and five females, aged between 34 and 61 years (mean age: 46.9 ±8.13 years). All patients received a placebo for 1 week and then captopril, 75 mgb.i.d. for 3 months. After placebo and captopril treatments, the following parameters were evaluated: SBP, DBP, mean blood pressure (MBP), by the formula 1/3 (SBP+2x DBP) and basal and minimal vascular resistances, respectively obtained by the ratios MBP/peak flow and MBP/peakflow. Blood flows have been obtained by strain gauge plethysmography.

A significant decrease in systolic (P<0.025), diastolic (P<0.01) and mean blood pressure (P<0.01), basal vascular resistances (52±19 vs 28±12 A.U., P<0.01) and minimal vascular resistances (6.3±2.2 vs 3.9±2–8 A.U., P<0.025) has been observed after captopril treatment in comparison to placebo, whereas rest (2.9±0.7 vs 4.1±0.9ml.min–1. 100 g–1, P<0.01) and peak blood flows (21.3±5.8 vs 29.7 ±9.4 ml.min-1. 100 g–1) significantly increased.

These data seem to indicate that antihypertensive treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, is not only efficacious in inducing a significant blood pressure decrease, consequent to the reduction of basal vascular resistance (due to the vasodilating effects of the drug), but is also able to reduce minimal vascular resistance. This increased maximal vasodilating power seems to be related to a favourable action of captopril on structural vascular changes induced by chronic arterial hypertension.

Key Words: Structural vascular changes • strain-gauge plethysmography • minimal vascular resistances • ACE-inhibitors • captopril


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