Beyond ONTARGET: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and angiotensin II receptor blockade in combination, a lesser evil in some?
OBJECTIVE
Following the recent Ongoing Telmistartan Alone and in Combination With Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) finding of adverse renal outcomes, dual renin-angiotensin blockade has fallen out of favour, despite antihypertensive and antiproteinuric efficacy. However, in high-risk severe hypertension, not studied in ONTARGET, whether combination treatment should be withheld or withdrawn is not clear. We examine the renal effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) and angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) monotherapy versus combination therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and varying degrees of hypertension.


METHODS
Subjects attending a hospital diabetes centre were selected as case (combination therapy, n = 120) and control (monotherapy, n = 480). Subjects were matched for age, gender, ethnicity, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), blood pressure (BP) and study duration. Patients were stratified by BP, hypertension stage 1 (BP < 160/100, n = 506) and stage 2 (≥160/100, n = 94), and by treatment group. Data were analysed for the primary renal outcome of eGFR decline ≥20 ml/min, over a median of 3.7 years.


RESULTS
In keeping with the ONTARGET study, for stage 1 hypertension, combination treatment is significantly worse than monotherapy for the primary outcome of eGFR decline ≥20 ml/min (20 vs. 10.7%, p = 0.01). In contrast, for stage 2 hypertension, this endpoint was reached less often for combination versus monotherapy (12.0 vs. 23.2%, p = 0.2). Combination treatment was also not detrimental in patients with proteinuria or eGFR < 60 ml/min and was associated with fewer macrovascular events.


CONCLUSIONS
Given that hypertension control is paramount and in the spirit of primum non nocere, these data are reassuring should clinicians choose to use ACE-I and ARB combination therapy in the very hypertensive diabetic patient.
Wong
J
J
Diabetes Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia. jencia.wong@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
Molyneaux
L
L
Constantino
M
M
Twigg
S M
SM
Yue
D K
DK
D000368:Aged; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents