Enalapril in the treatment of renovascular hypertension

Enalapril, an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, was given to 12 patients with renovascular hypertension: To five of them as a single drug after discontinuing other medications, and to seven patients as a substitute for one of their previous medications. The drug proved effective in controlling hypertension in all patients. Flushing and palpitations occurred in two of them, one of whom also showed a rise in creatinine and mild hyperkalemia. Two patients who had developed side effects while on captopril (renal deterioration in one, and severe rash in the other) tolerated enalapril well. Enalapril effectively reduced the blood pressure in the one patient with bilateral renal artery stenosis without causing renal failure.