What Is Captopril And When Is It Used?

Captopril is a medicine that belongs to the family of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors). It works by blocking the active center of this enzyme protein peptidase.

ACE is an enzyme that converts angiotensin I into angiotensin II, a molecule which, among other things, has a strong vasoconstrictor effect and the subsequent increase in blood pressure.

Captopril was the first molecule to be synthesized by structural changes from the original angiotensin I molecule and the ACE receptor. As a result, scientists carried out other studies of the structural variability of other molecules along with their corresponding receptors. Read on and find out what captopril is.

What is captopril? Indications and dosage

As we already mentioned, doctors mainly use this drug to treat high blood pressure. However, specialists also prescribe it to combat other diseases. Depending on the indication, the dosages will vary.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the main indications of captopril and the recommended doses for each of them.

Hypertension

To treat this condition, doctors may administer captopril as monotherapy or in combination therapy with other medications indicated for the treatment of high blood pressure. First of all, they can administer them in combination with thiazide diuretics.

The action of captopril and thiazide diuretics together enhances the therapeutic effect, so that better results can be obtained.

Before starting treatment with captopril, specialists need to know the patient’s previous antihypertensive treatment, as well as information about blood pressure, salt restriction and other clinical situations.

The starting dose is 50 mg daily. However, if the clinical picture has not improved after two weeks, it can be increased to 100 mg daily or 50 mg twice daily. If your doctor gives it together with another antihypertensive medicine, he will modify the doses he considers appropriate for your safety.

Heart failure

Doctors also prescribe captopril to treat heart failure. In most clinical trials, scientists have studied the effects of this drug when given together with other agents. However, captopril does not require concomitant medications to be effective against this disease.

Regarding the recommended doses, in patients with normal blood pressure or hypotension who have already received diuretics and who may be in a state of hypovolemia and / or hyponatraemia, a starting dose of 6.25 or 12.5 mg given 3 times a day may minimize the severity or duration of the treatment. hypotension. effect.

However, in most patients with heart failure, the starting daily dose is 25 mg three times a day. You should never exceed the maximum dose of 450 mg per day of this drug.

Myocardial infarction

This is another indication for the use of this ACE inhibitor. Specialists especially point to the condition after myocardial infarction after 72 hours of haemodynamic stabilization, in patients with heart failure in the course of the disease or with symptoms of reduced ejection fraction.

In such cases, doctors should start treatment as soon as possible, starting within 72 hours of the heart attack. They usually start with an initial dose of 6.25 mg and increase it to 12.5 mg 3 times a day.

Depending on patient tolerability, the doctor may increase the dose to 25 mg three times a day or to a dose of 150 mg once a day. If patients develop symptomatic hypotension, the dose should be reduced.

Diabetic nephropathy

Finally, we want to mention another indication for this drug. It is given to insulin dependent patients with diabetes. It doesn’t matter if they have normal pressure or high blood pressure.

The goal of treatment with captopril in these patients is to prevent the progression of kidney disease and to reduce the associated clinical sequelae.

The recommended dose is between 75 and 100 mg a day, divided into several doses. In case these doses are insufficient to achieve the therapeutic goal, they can be combined with other drugs, such as:

• β-blockers,
• vasodilators,
• hypotensive measures.

What is captopril? Application

In conclusion, doctors make extensive use of captopril to treat high blood pressure. They also use it to treat other conditions such as myocardial infarction and heart failure.

Due to its strong effects, it is important to always follow your doctor’s instructions and not overuse this type of medication. If you have any doubts about this substance, you can consult both your doctor and pharmacist.