[Regression of cardiac hypertrophy in hypertensive patients treated with captopril]

We studied the echographic LVH indexes early detected in recent AHT. We analyzed the LVH regression after 12 months of treatment with Captopril. We describe the modifications observed in the lipidic metabolism. We studied 25 patients with an average age of 40 years and maximum essential arterial hypertension with 15 months of evolution. Septal thickness showed a reduction in systole and diastole at 6 months (p < 0.01). The posterior wall thickness decreased 3 mm in systole and diastole at 12 months (p < 0.001). Afterload diastolic diameter improved at 6 months. LV mass decreased from 321 gr to 279 gr at 6 months and to 268 at 12 months (p < 0.001); the same reduction was observed in mass index. At six months, total cholesterol and LDL had decreased (p < 0.05) and HDL-cholesterol had increased, although without statistical significance. Triglycerides showed a significant decrease at 12 months (p < 0.001). Seventy per cent of the patients were controlled with Captropil 100 mg/day and the remainder, with 50 mg.