title: Evidence for improvement in survival with antihypertensive combination treatment.
abstract: Hypertension constitutes a major risk factor for an array of cardiovascular diseases. Rates of morbidity and mortality related to its complications are high and remain an important concern in terms of public health. Improvement in cardiovascular outcomes and survival is an ultimate goal of the antihypertensive treatment. However, despite the wide range of available antihypertensive drugs, the rates of BP control are still insufficient. In most hypertensive patients, more than one antihypertensive compound is necessary to achieve goal levels of blood pressure. Assuming a greater antihypertensive effect may be obtained from two or more agents given in association, many combination therapies have been proposed and tested in a number of studies. The best clinical trial evidence comes from large outcome studies with an ACE inhibitor and dihydropyridine calcium antagonist combination, that of perindopril/amlodipine in the ASCOT trial in particular.
authors.affiliation: Heart Failure/Transplantation Clinic, University Clinic Zurich, Switzerland. frank.ruschitzka@usz.ch
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruschitzka
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004232:Diuretics