COMPARISON OF CAPTOPRIL WITH PROPRANOLOL IN THE TREATMENT OF ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

Captopril, a newly developed, orally active inhibitor of the angiotensin‐converting enzyme, has been used in an open random trial to test its safety and compare its efficacy with that of propranolol in a group of patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Twenty patients with resting supine diastolic blood pressures in the range from 100 mmHg to 120 mmHg were selected at random in the proportion 3:2 for treatment with Captopril (12 patients) or propranolol (eight patients). They went through a four‐week dose‐finding period and then through an eight‐week maintenance period. Both groups showed good response to medication and rapid control of blood pressure. Three patients in the Captopril group developed a rash; in two of these the rash disappeared after the dose was lowered.