Effects of candesartan on cough and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in mildly to moderately hypertensive patients with symptomatic asthma.
BACKGROUND
Candesartan, an AT(1) receptor antagonist, has been reported to have no association with persistent cough in subjects with hypertension, but there has been no study on the safety of its administration to hypertensive patients with symptomatic asthma. The aim of this study was to compare the adverse effects of candesartan and calcium antagonists on cough, pulmonary function, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in these patients.


RESULTS
Sixty mildly to moderately hypertensive patients with bronchial asthma received either candesartan (n=30) or the calcium antagonists nifedipine or manidipine (n=30) for 6 months. The candesartan group included 5 subjects with a history of ACE inhibitor-induced cough. There were no differences between the 2 groups in patient characteristics, ACE gene polymorphism, pulmonary function, or bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine. Control of hypertension was the primary end point; new cough detected by self-administrated questionnaire and an increase in cough frequency by visual analog scale were the second end point. No patient complained of persistent cough. Neither mean visual analog scale score nor pulmonary functions changed during this study. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness had a tendency to improve in the candesartan group, but there was no difference between the 2 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Incidence, frequency, and severity of persistent cough, pulmonary functions, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness did not change in either the candesartan or calcium antagonist group. It is suggested that candesartan is as effective and safe as calcium antagonists in the treatment of hypertension associated with symptomatic asthma.
Tanaka
H
H
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Teramoto
S
S
Oashi
K
K
Saikai
T
T
Tanaka
S
S
Suzuki
K
K
Hashimoto
M
M
Abe
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics; D010879:Piperazines; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004095:Dihydropyridines; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D010879:Piperazines; D013777:Tetrazoles; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; C054218:manidipine; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D009543:Nifedipine; C081643:candesartan