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Data presented today at the 19th Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Hypertension, Milan, Italy has demonstrated that treatment with an investigational combination of telmisartan (an angiotensin receptor blocker [ARB]) and amlodipine (a calcium-channel blocker [CCB]) shows substantial and sustained 24-hour blood pressure (BP) lowering and is well-tolerated in a range of patients with hypertension at risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. This includes patients with Type 2 diabetes, obese patients, the elderly, black patients and those not controlled by amlodipine alone.
Suboptimal treatment of hypertension has recently been highlighted by the World Health Organisation as the number-one risk of death globally; the majority of patients do not achieve BP control on one therapeutic agent alone, with treatment intolerance and non-compliance being common problems. The unmet need for a convenient and tolerable treatment that helps the majority of patients control their BP clearly persists.
Professor Giuseppe Mancia, Professor of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Medicine, Prevention and Applied Biotechnologies of the University of Milan, Bicocca commented, “Recent data from a large population-based study in Italy shows a lack of blood pressure control with monotherapy, which is frequently abandoned after just a few months – a trend that continues over time. Interestingly, however, the study also highlighted differences in discontinuation rates between treatment classes, with ARBs, such as telmisartan resulting in the best treatment compliance rates. The new telmisartan and amlodipine combination data show that this combination is effective and well-tolerated in difficult-to-treat patients at cardiovascular risk and in patients not controlled by amlodipine alone, which may aid patient compliance and help to improve cardiovascular disease management.”
