Use of captopril to reduce serum lipids in hypertensive patients with hyperlipidemia

The effects on serum lipids of substituting captopril for other antihypertensive drugs were evaluated in 24 essential hypertensives with stable hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol 250 to 350 mg/dL). Captopril, 50 mg bid, was substituted for one of the nondiuretic drugs the patients were already taking. Patients on a diuretic continued the same diuretic at the same dosage. After 6 months of treatment including captopril, patients returned for 3 months to their previous therapeutic scheme (rechallenge). Treatment with captopril caused a reduction in total cholesterol (-18%) and triglycerides (-26%) and an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (+27%). When patients returned to their precaptopril therapy, total and HDL cholesterol returned to precaptopril values. These effects of captopril on lipid profile of hypertensive patients with hypercholesterolemia could be important for the reduction of cardiovascular complications in treated hypertensives.