Equivalent effects of nicardipine and captopril on urinary albumin excretion of type 2, non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects with mild to moderate hypertension

To rest if calcium antagonists and converting enzyme inhibitors can act similarly on urinary; albumin excretion of type 2, non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects with hypertension, a 24 week, double-blind, randomized, parallel multicentre study was performed in 111 such patients allocated to nicardipine 50 mg slow release form (n = 57) or to captopril 25 mg (n = 54) twice daily. The efficacy of both drugs was similar on urinary albumin excretion (Westlake test p = 0.19). However, blood pressure was lower on nicardipine than on captopril (p < 0.05), and the antialbuminuric effect of nicardipine was related to its hypotensive effect, while this was not the case for captopril. The two drugs were tolerated equally. Thus, nicardipine and captopril for 24 weeks can be equally effective on urinary albumin excretion of type 2, non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects with hypertension, but the mechanisms of their anti-albuminuric effects may be different.