Article
Influence of an AT 1-receptor antagonist and HCT based antihypertensive combination therapy on pulse pressure
Einfluss einer antihypertensiven Kombinationstherapie mit AT 1-Antagonisten plus Diuretika auf den pulse pressure
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Published: | August 10, 2005 |
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Aim: Angiotensin receptor blocker have shown in experimental settings that they are able to improve the pulse wave velocity and the architecture of the microvasculature leading to a decrease of pulse pressure. These results should be proven in a postmarketing surveillance (pms) study under clinical conditions.
Methods: 7.850 hypertensive patients (median age 62.5 years, bmi 28 kg/m2) with a high cardiovascular risk status (51.3 % diab. mell., 56.9 % dyslipidemia, 21.7 % coronary heart disease) were treated in the pms-study with 600 mg eprosartan plus 12.5 mg hct (Emestar plus) alone (36.2 %) or add on to a concomitant antihypertensive therapy. The blood pressure was measured three times over the study time length of eight weeks.
Results: After eight weeks the mean blood pressure reduction reached 28 mmHg (167.1 to 139.4 mmHg) in systolic and 14 (96.7 to 82.6) mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. Thereby the greater fall in systolic BP lead to significant reduction of pulse pressure from 69 to 57 (median 70 to 55) mmHg. Simultaneously the heart rate decreased from 78.2 to 73.9 beats/min.
Conclusions: The eprosartan/hct combination therapy was highly effective in the reduction of blood pressure accompanied by a normalization of the pulse pressure. This confirmed indirectly the experimental results in a clinical setting with hypertensive patients on a high cardiovascular risk and indicates a positive influence on the functional and perhaps morphological aspects of the vasculature.