title: Efficacy and tolerability of a fixed-dose combination of telmisartan plus hydrochlorothiazide in patients uncontrolled with telmisartan monotherapy.
abstract: The antihypertensive effects of a telmisartan 80 mg/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 12.5 mg fixed-dose combination and telmisartan 80 mg monotherapy were compared in patients with a history of mild-to-moderate essential hypertension and inadequate BP control (DBP > or = 90 mm Hg) following 8 weeks of telmisartan monotherapy. At the end of this period, 491 patients (62.9% men; mean age 55.3 years) whose DBP was > or = 90 mm Hg were double-blind randomised to once-daily telmisartan 80 mg/HCTZ 12.5 mg (n = 246) or telmisartan 80 mg (n = 245). Trough (24 h post-dose) clinic BP was measured after 4 and 8 weeks of double-blind therapy. At the end of double-blind treatment, patients receiving telmisartan 80 mg/HCTZ 12.5 mg had significant additional decrements in clinic SBP/DBP over telmisartan 80 mg of -5.7/-3.1 mm Hg (P < 0.01). Most of the additional effect occurred during the first 4 weeks of treatment. The proportion of patients with normalised BP (SBP < 140 mm Hg and DBP < 90 mm Hg) was significantly greater in the telmisartan 80 mg/HCTZ 12.5 mg group than the telmisartan 80 mg group (41.5%vs 26.1%;P < 0.05). Both treatments were well tolerated. The incidence of adverse events was similar except for diarrhoea, which occurred more frequently in the telmisartan 80 mg/HCTZ 12.5 mg group, and oedema, which occurred more frequently in the telmisartan group. Our results indicate that a telmisartan 80 mg/HCTZ 12.5 mg fixed-dose combination confers significant additional BP reductions compared with continuation of telmisartan monotherapy in non-responders.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension Research Unit, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada. luc.poirier@crchul.ulaval.ca
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lacourcière
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tytus
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lenis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orchard
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001565:Benzoates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077333:Telmisartan; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001565:Benzoates; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; D000077333:Telmisartan