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Arterial hypertension shows, in the elderly, particular features and special problems connected with its pharmacological treatment. In our work ten patients, aged between 65-75, suffering from essential hypertension, were examined for eight weeks. At the end of this period, we observed a significant reduction of systolic and diastolic pressure, heart rate being unchanged. We didn't observe any significant change in the metabolic parameters considered (uricemia, creatininemia, triglycerides and cholesterol). No patient had to interrupt the treatment as a consequence of side effects. According to our data, we can affirm that Captopril reduces arterial pressure gradually and doesn't cause orthostatic hypotension, being thus very useful in the elderly.

Ten hypertensive patients (I-IIWHO) were treated for a period of three months with captopril 50 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg once or twice daily, with the aim of evaluating the antihypertensive effectiveness of this association and the lack of influences on lipid and mainly glucose metabolism. Blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated every month, while chemical tests were performed at the beginning and at the end of the trial. Besides before and after treatment were studied blood glucose and insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance test, at times 0, 15', 30', 60', 90', 120', 180'. Our data show that captopril combined with hydrochlorothiazide has a good antihypertensive action, and doesn't alter lipid and glucose metabolism either after oral glucose tolerance test.

Hypertension is much more common among diabetics than non-diabetics and particular care must be taken in treating both chronic pathologies. It is in fact vital to consider the effect antihypertensive drugs may have on diabetes and its complications. Hence the choice of anti-hypertensive drug for a patient with diabetes mellitus must be preceded by a careful study of the metabolic effects of that drug. An attempt is made to assess the interference by antihypertensive agents with glucose metabolism and to identify an appropriate treatment protocol for the patient with both arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus.