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A drug by German pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim used on cardiovascular patients has been found to reduce the risks heart attack and stroke in high-risk patients.
The results of the telmisartan randomised assessment study in ACE-intolerant subjects with cardiovascular disease trial demonstrate that 80mg of Micardis (telmisartan) reduces the risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction/heart attack and stroke by 13%.
The improvement came on top of benefits from standard treatment for cardiovascular disease, including anti-hypertensives, anti-platelet therapy and statins.
The trial also found that patients tolerated the telmisartan therapy well and tended to continue with the treatment.
The data on 5,926 patients from 40 countries was presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Munich, Germany.
Transcend is the first landmark trial to test and prove the cardiovascular-protective effects of an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) versus placebo, on top of standard therapy in high-risk individuals who cannot tolerate an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor.
Only 465 patients in the telmisartan tests experienced a cardiovascular event versus 504 patients receiving placebo on top of current best standard of care.
Copyright PA Business 2008
