The chronic oral administration of 0.07 mg digitoxin o.d. for up to 58 days to 12 healthy volunteers caused a small drop in mean heart rate HR (95% CI: -7.9 to -1.6 beats.min-1), in mean diastolic blood pressure (95% CI: -8.3 to -0.4 mmHg), shortening of the QTc-interval (95% CI: -42 to -19 ms), shortening of the HR-corrected pre-ejection period PEPc (95% CI: -16 to -1 ms) and electromechanical systole QS2c (95% CI: -25 to -1 ms), and an increase in the impedance cardiographic Heather index (dZ/dtmax/RZ, 95% CI: 0.3 to 4.3) relative to the baseline measurements before digitalisation. The concomitant administration of 25 mg oral captopril b.d. did not significantly alter these responses relative to the concomitant double-blind administration of placebo, nor did it alter the pharmacokinetic characteristics of plasma digitoxin at steady state. Thus, no relevant change in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of chronically administered digitoxin were induced by concomitant treatment with captopril.