Comparison of the effectiveness of captopril and olmesartan in hypertensive patients

Abstract

Purpose: Hypertensive conditions are situations that require immediate intervention in emergency services. Captopril is one of the most commonly used drugs in patients presenting to emergency departments with high blood pressure. In this study; we aimed to find an answer to the question of whether orally administered olmesartan could be an alternative to captopril in urgent hypertensive situations. Material and Method: In this study, blood pressure measurements were made after a 5-minute rest period in patients who presented to the emergency department of our hospital with the diagnosis of hypertension. Patients with a blood pressure of 180/100 mmHg and above and no signs of end-organ damage were followed up. Forty patients were given sublingual captopril 25 mg, and the other 40 patients were given 40 mg of olmesartan, and they were allowed to swallow the drug with some water. Afterward, the patients were followed for 3 hours (with blood pressure and pulse measurements), and their blood pressure was measured and recorded at five-minute intervals. Results: The mean age of the patients receiving captopril was 60.70±11.43 years, and the mean age of the patients receiving olmesartan was 57.02±13.86 years. Of the patients receiving captopril, 19 (57.5%) were male, 21 (52.5%) were female, 17 (42.5%) of the patients receiving olmesartan were male and 23 (57.5%) were female. In this study, patients treated with captopril and olmesartan were monitored for 3 hours and the differences between them in pulse and blood pressure measurements were evaluated. When the systolic blood pressures were compared, the difference at the tenth minute was significant, but the difference between the other minutes was not significant. Differences in diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were not significant. Conclusion: Oral administration of olmesartan in emergency hypertensive patients may be an alternative to captopril due to its effectiveness in reducing mortality and morbidity.