[Effect of captopril on pulmonary function].
During the past few years, dry cough has been described as a possible adverse effect of treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. There have been several studies of the effect of long-term administration of ACE inhibitors on pulmonary function. We examined spirometrically the effect of a single oral dose of captopril (25 mg) on bronchial tonus in those who had not received the drug previously, in 4 patients who had previously had dry cough during ACE inhibitor therapy, in 20 patients with obstructive pulmonary disease and in 20 control subjects without pulmonary disease. 1 hour after ingestion of captopril there were no significant changes in the spirometric tests of any group. These findings supplement the results of similar tests done during longterm administration of ACE inhibitors, indicating that the pathogenesis of cough elicited by ACE inhibitor therapy does not seem to have an asthmatic basis.