Comparison of the effectiveness of garlic capsules with captopril in lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients

Hypertension is a global health problem with a high prevalence, especially in Southeast Asia. Treatment of hypertension usually involves pharmacological therapy, but many patients look for natural alternatives such as garlic, which is known to have blood pressure-lowering properties. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of garlic capsules with captopril in lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients. The research design used was a quasi-experiment with 30 samples divided into two groups, namely the garlic capsule group and the captopril group. Both groups experienced significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In the garlic capsule group, systolic blood pressure p = 0.001 and diastolic blood pressure p = 0.027; in the captopril group, systolic blood pressure p = 0.001 and diastolic blood pressure = 0.020 (α= 0.05). In the comparison of the two groups, a value of p = 0.896 was obtained, while diastolic blood pressure had a value of p 0.586 (α= 0.05), which means that there was no significant difference between the garlic capsule group and captopril in the effectiveness of lowering blood pressure. Garlic may be an effective alternative or addition to hypertension therapy, with a similar mechanism of action to captopril, especially in increasing nitric oxide production, inhibiting angiotensin-modifying enzymes, and its antioxidant properties.