RESUMEN
The purpose of investigation was the assessment of the effect of captopril on both systemic (Pa) and pulmonary arterial pressures (PPA) in patients with high-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH). Seventeen patients (mean age 44 +/- 6.8 years) with HAPH and mild-to-moderate systemic arterial hypertension were included in the study. All the patients underwent right heart catheterization with measurements of systolic PPA (PPA,syst), mean PPA (PPA) and diastolic PPA (PPA,diast). After a 4 week placebo phase, patients with PPA,syst > 25 mm Hg, PPA > 15 mm Hg and systemic diastolic blood pressure (Pa,diast) > 100 mm Hg received captopril (50-75 mg at 08.00) for a period of 12 weeks. The statistical evaluation of the results were made using the Student's t-test. It was found that captopril significantly decreases PPA and Pa.