The JNC 7 approach compared to conventional treatment in diabetic patients with hypertension: a double-blind trial of initial monotherapy vs. combination therapy.
The JNC 7 states that persons with blood pressure (BP) more than 20/10 mm Hg above goal should be started on combination drug therapy. This criterion includes patients with BP >160/100 mm Hg and diabetics with hypertension. The goal BP for persons with diabetes mellitus is <130/80 mm Hg. A randomized, double-blind trial force titrated initial combination therapy utilizing an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) combination (losartan/hydrochlorothiazide [LOS/HCTZ]) compared with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (ramipril), for 8 weeks, and tested the hypothesis that combination therapy is more likely to achieve goal BP vs. monotherapy. At 4 weeks, 30.5% of LOS/HCTZ and 14.4% of ramipril recipients achieved goal diastolic BP (p<0.001). More participants achieved goal systolic BP in the ARB/HCTZ group at 4 weeks (29.8% vs. 14.4%; p<0.001). At 4 weeks, mean diastolic BP had decreased 10.2+/-7.4 mm Hg in the LOS/HCTZ group compared with 6.4+/-6.8 mm Hg in the ramipril group (p<0.001), and systolic BP had fallen 15.4+/-13.1 mm Hg in the ARB/HCTZ compared with 9.2+/-10.2 mm Hg in the ACE-inhibitor group (p<0.001). Significant differences favoring the combination were also noted at 8 weeks. Drug-related adverse experiences were 10.3% for the combination compared with 12.7% for the monotherapy group. Initial combination therapy with an ARB/HCTZ was more effective than ACE-inhibitor monotherapy in achieving BP goals in participants with diabetes with no significant differences in the incidence of adverse experiences. These observations confirm other studies of combination therapies, such as b blocker/diuretic, ACE inhibitor/diuretic, or ACE inhibitor/calcium channel blocker. The use of two medications will achieve goal BP in more patients than monotherapy. This observation is important in treatment of high-risk patients with diabetes.
Merck Research Laboratories, BLX-21, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA.
Jonathan C
JC
Fox
Kellie
K
Leight
Santosh C
SC
Sutradhar
Laura A
LA
Demopoulos
Gilbert W
GW
Gleim
Andrew J
AJ
Lewin
George L
GL
Bakris
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019808:Losartan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017257:Ramipril / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; D019808:Losartan; D017257:Ramipril