title: Clinical experience in treating hypertension with fixed-dose combination therapy: angiotensin II receptor blocker losartan plus hydrochlorothiazide.
abstract: The goal of antihypertensive treatment is to reduce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events associated with high blood pressure. A combination therapy with different antihypertensive agents is more successful than monotherapy in most hypertensive patients, with the added advantage of a better safety profile. Therefore, treatment of hypertensive patients with fixed-dose combination therapy consisting of the angiotensin II receptor blocker losartan along with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) has several potential benefits over monotherapy with each individual component. It provides more effective blood pressure control, a reduction in the likelihood of adverse effects and facilitation of patient compliance due to a simple once-daily regimen. One of the advantages of the combination of losartan with HCTZ is the potential reduction in HCTZ-induced metabolic disorders; in particular, this combination can have attractive benefits for patients of hyperuricemia. Losartan plus HCTZ fixed-dose combination therapy is frequently recommended for the treatment of hypertension and lowers blood pressure in mild-to-moderate and even severe hypertensive patients to a level comparable with other classes of antihypertensive agents in combination with HCTZ. Fixed-dose combination therapy with losartan plus HCTZ is a logical choice as antihypertensive therapy for patients in whom combination therapy is necessary to achieve additional blood pressure reduction.
authors.affiliation: Nihon University School of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, 30-1, Oyaguchi-Kamimachi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan. mabe@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019808:Losartan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055118:Medication Adherence
chemical_list: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; D019808:Losartan