title: Candesartan cilexetil in cardiovascular disease.
abstract: Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor, but most patients remain asymptomatic for many years. Successful therapy not only needs to be effective, it also needs to be well tolerated. Angiotensin receptor blockers have emerged as a major therapeutic class because they meet both of these requirements. Numerous studies indicate that all approved angiotensin receptor blockers are highly selective for angiotensin-1 receptors, lower blood pressure as monotherapies, and work well in combination with other drugs - particularly diuretics. The side-effect profile of angiotensin receptor blockers is similar to that of placebo and they have not been associated with known side effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors such as cough and angioneurotic edema. Candesartan cilexetil is an angiotensin receptor blocker with insurmountable binding properties to the angiotensin-1 receptor, long duration of action and improved efficacy. In patients with hypertension, candesartan monotherapy has been shown to be safe and effective. Comparative data have shown similar or better results to other monotherapies in blood-pressure control, and in combination with hydrochlorothiazide it has been shown to have additive or synergistic effects. More recent data demonstrate that candesartan cilexetil is useful in the treatment of patients with heart failure and may protect against diabetic nephropathy. Studies have also shown protection from stroke, particularly in patients with isolated systolic hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20422, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papademetriou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001682:Biological Availability; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D013777:Tetrazoles; C077793:candesartan cilexetil