ABPM comparison of the antihypertensive profiles of the selective angiotensin II receptor antagonists telmisartan and losartan in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension

The antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability profiles of the selective AT (1) receptor antagonists telmisartan and losartan were compared with placeb o in a 6-week, multinational, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, double -dummy, parallel-group study of 223 patients with mild-to-moderate hyperten sion, defined as clinic diastolic blood pressure (DBP) greater than or equa l to 95 and less than or equal to 114 mm Hg, clinic systolic blood pressure (SBP) greater than or equal to 140 and less than or equal to 200 mm Hg, an d 24-h ambulatory DBP greater than or equal to 85 mm Hg. After a 4-week sin gle-blind placebo run-in, eligible patients were randomised to receive telm isartan 40 mg, telmisartan 80 mg, losartan 50 mg, or placebo. Ambulatory bl ood pressure monitoring (ABPM) after 6 weeks of double-blind therapy showed that all active treatments produced significant (P < 0.01) reductions from baseline in 24-h mean SEP and DBP compared with placebo. During the 18-to- 24 h period after dosing, the reductions in SBP/DBP with telmisartan 40 nag (10.7/6.8 mm Hg) and 80 mg (12.2/7.1 mm Hg) were each significantly (P < 0 .05) greater than those observed for losartan 50 mg (6.0/3.7 mm Hg), and lo sartan was no better than placebo. Also for the 24-h mean blood pressure, t elmisartan 40 mg and 80 mg were significantly (P < 0.05) better than losart an 50 nag. compared with losartan, telmisartan 80 mg produced significantly (P < 0.05) greater reductions in both SEP and DBP during all monitored per iods of the 24-h period, while telmisartan 40 mg produced significantly gre ater reductions in SEP and DBP in the night-time period (10.01 pm to 5.59 a m) (P < 0.05) and in DBP in the morning period (6.00 am to 11.59 am) (P < 0 .05). All treatments were comparably well tolerated. Telmisartan 40 mg and 80 mg once daily were effective and well tolerated in the treatment of mild -to-moderate hypertension, producing sustained 24-h blood pressure control which compared favourably with losartan.