Importance of a fixed combination of telmisartan and amlodipine for the treatment of hypertension.
Patients with moderate to severe hypertension frequently require>or=2 antihypertensives to achieve blood pressure (BP) control. The combination telmisartan/amlodipine is especially suitable for the treatment of severely hypertensive, high-risk patients, because it offers a substantial and sustained 24-h BP-lowering effect and is well tolerated in a range of patients with hypertension, who are at risk for cardiovascular events. ACCOMPLISH was the first trial to test two fixed-dose combinations (the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor [ACEi] benazepril in combination with either the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide [HCTZ] or the calcium channel blocker amlodipine). It was shown that a combination including amlodipine was superior to that including HCTZ in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events and death among high-risk patients. Results of the ONTARGET study comparing telmisartan with ramipril showed that telmisartan was an equally effective alternative to ramipril and less likely to cause angioedema. The telmisartan/amlodipine combination is therefore a particularly attractive choice for difficult-to-control hypertensive patients at cardiovascular risk, including those with diabetes, or those who are obese, elderly, not controlled by amlodipine monotherapy, or who are intolerant to ACEi.
Institut fur Kardiovaskulare Pharmakologie und Epidemiologie, Mahlow, Germany.
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D017311:Amlodipine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001565:Benzoates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001769:Blood / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D000077333:Telmisartan
D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001565:Benzoates; D004338:Drug Combinations; C548840:telmisartan amlodipine combination; D017311:Amlodipine; D000077333:Telmisartan