Efficacy and safety of combination therapy of high-dose losartan and hydrochlorothiazide in patients with hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the efficacy and safety of combination therapy of high-dose losartan (100 mg/day) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, 12.5 mg/day) compared with those of the combination of high-dose telmisartan (80 mg/day) and HCTZ (12.5 mg/day). METHODS: Forty hypertensive patients who received a combination of high-dose telmisartan and HCTZ were enrolled. We applied a changeover strategy with switching from a combination of high-dose telmisartan and HCTZ to high-dose losartan and HCTZ. We divided the patients into two groups; those who achieved the target blood pressure (controlled group) and those who did not reach the target blood pressure (uncontrolled group) before the changeover and performed further analysis. RESULTS: The uncontrolled group showed a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (143±12 mmHg to 126±11 mmHg at three months). In addition, serum uric acid significantly decreased in all subjects, and in each of the controlled and uncontrolled groups. There were no significant changes in other biochemical parameters, such as potassium and hemoglobin A1c, at three months after the changeover in all subjects. CONCLUSION: Combination therapy with high-dose losartan and HCTZ was superior to the combination of telmisartan and HCTZ with respect to significant decreases in systolic blood pressure and serum uric acid in hypertensive patients.

Efficacy and safety of a single-pill fixed-dose combination of high-dose telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide in patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Many patients still have high blood pressure (BP) after treatment with high-dose angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) or Preminent® (medium-dose of losartan (50 mg/day)/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) (12.5 mg/day)). Therefore, we analyzed whether Micombi®BP (high-dose telmisartan (80 mg/day)/HCTZ (12.5 mg/day)) could provide better results with regard to efficacy and safety for patients with uncontrolled hypertension. METHODS: In total, 44 hypertensive patients (22 males, age 71±14 years) who showed uncontrolled BP despite the use of high-dose ARBs or Preminent® were enrolled in this study. We used a changeover design in which the patients were switched from high-dose ARBs or Preminent® to Micombi®BP. We analyzed BP, heart rate (HR), and biochemical parameters before and after treatment for 3 months. RESULTS: Systolic BP and diastolic BP significantly decreased (125±15/69±11 mmHg) and 85% of the patients achieved their target BP at 3 months after changeover. Patients who switched from ARBs and those who switched from Preminent® showed similar BP-lowering effects. In addition, the reductions in BP after 3 months in patients with or without chronic kidney disease and in those with or without metabolic syndrome (MetS) were also similar. There were no significant changes in HR during the study period. Although blood levels of potassium, hemoglobin A1c and uric acid (UA) significantly increased after 3 months for all of the patients, none of the patients showed serious adverse effects. CONCLUSION: High-dose telmisartan/HCTZ therapy was associated with a significant reduction in BP and helped patients achieve their target BP.