Long-term treatment with the ace inhibitor captopril, alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide, in elderly hypertensives: Effects on blood pressure and quality of life

Abstract The efficacy and tolerability of long-term treatment with the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor captopril was evaluated in elderly hypertensive subjects. One hundred thirty patients were studied (61 men and 69 women; mean age, 68.33 ± 5.49 years), all with mild to moderate arterial hypertension (mild = 90–105 mmHg; moderate = 105–115 mmHg). Patients with secondary hypertension were excluded from the study. After a 2-week drug washout, patients were given captopril 25 to 100 mg/day alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 25 mg/day for 15 weeks. After 2 weeks of treatment, significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures were observed (P