Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effect of captopril on the serum uric acid level and renal function tests in hypertensive patients, in relation to the age and gender patients , and dose and duration of captopril use.
Patients & methods: This is a case control study conducted in the Consultatory Clinic for Internal Medicine in Ibn-Siena Teaching Hospital in Mosul/Iraq, from the 15th of October 2009 to the 15th of June 2010. A total number of 100 patients (56 males and 44 females) with mild to moderate primary hypertension, non diabetic, neither having renal diseases nor other chronic illnesses, were taken and divided into two groups: First group included 50 patients using captopril (captopril group) for more than three months , The second group included 50 newly diagnosed untreated hypertensive patients (control group). Serum uric acid, serum urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium concentration were measured using special kits and creatinine clearance (Crcl) were calculated by Cockroft and Gault equation and all were compared in the two groups.
Results: Serum uric acid decreased significantly in captopril group while the renal function tests did not show any significant difference in comparison with the control group. There was a significant reduction of creatinine clearance in the captopril group in the older patients using captopril than younger patients. There were no significant effect of the dose and the duration of captopril use on serum uric acid and renal function tests , except that increasing the dose of captopril lead to a significant increase in serum potassium. Also, there was a significant increase in serum uric acid, urea , and creatinine and a significant reduction of crcl in males patients than in females patients in both groups.
Conclusion: Captopril is a safe drug for the treatment of patients with essential hypertension regarding renal function tests beside that captopril therapy causes a significant reduction of serum uric acid, but no significant effects for the dose and duration of use of captopril on serum uric acid and renal function tests except that increasing the dose of captopril lead to a significant increase in serum potassium. There were a significant reduction of mean Crcl in the captopril group with increasing of the age. Male hypertensive patients were more prone for renal impairment than female hypertensive patients.
