Regression of structural vascular changes in hypertensives after captopril treatment

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