Comparative Effects of Long-Term Therapy with Captopril and Ibopamine in Chronic Congestive Heart Failure in Old Patients

Little is known concerning the long-term drug management of chronic heart failure (CHF) in old patients (greater than or equal to 75 years). Accordingly, this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial compared the long-term (over 6 months) effect of captopril (37.5-75 mg/day) and of ibopamine (150-300 mg/day) on exercise testing, symptoms and subjective feeling of well-being, in 150 CHF elderly patients (mean age 75 years) under treatment with digitalis and/or diuretics. During an additional open follow-up of approximately 1.5 years, morbid events and deaths were also recorded. Captopril and ibopamine performed better (p less than 0.01) than placebo, improving the 6-min walking distance (captopril from 300 to 404 m, ibopamine from 282 to 385 m; placebo from 283 to 299 m). NYHA status, symptom score and patients' global assessment. The difference between the active study drugs was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.05). Complicating events, including diuretic use, frequency of hospitalization, worsening of CHF and deaths, were grouped by patient-years. These events were significantly (p less than 0.01) lower (captopril: 28/75 patient-years; ibopamine 33/74 patient-years) in the active treatment groups with respect to placebo (58/96 patient-years). Captopril and ibopamine showed a different safety profile. Creatinine increase (2 patients), symptomatic hypotension (4 patients), hyperkalemia (2 patients) and upper respiratory symptoms were mostly associated with captopril treatment. Gastrointestinal adverse events were observed in 11 patients under ibopamine treatment. The study provides evidence of the clinical usefulness of both captopril or ibopamine in the long-term treatment of CHF in old patients. The safety profile of each drug will suggest the preferred therapeutic application.