Captopril and bronchial reactivity

In order to assess the effect of captopril on bronchial reactivity, 16 consecutive patients with asthma and hypertension were randomized in a double-blind crossover study, with increasing doses of placebo or captopril for 4 week periods. Forced expiratory flow (FEV1) and a dose-response curve with methacholine (PD20) were measured before and after treatment . Effective control of hypertension was achieved in all patients on captopril (P less than 0.05), while no changes in FEV1 and PD20 were observed. We conclude that captopril can be used as a first step in the treatment of asthmatic patients with hypertension.