Ga. Macgregor et al., Efficacy of candesartan cilexetil alone or in combination with amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide in moderate-to-severe hypertension, HYPERTENSIO, 36(3), 2000, pp. 454-460
Citations number
15
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems","Cardiovascular & Hematology Research
This multicenter study evaluated the efficacy of candesartan cilexetil, an
angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist, used alone or in combination wit
h amlodipine or in combination with amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide in t
he treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe essential hypertension. Af
ter a 2-week, single-blind, placebo run-in period, patients entered a 12-we
ek, open-label, dose-titration period. The candesartan cilexetil dose was i
ncreased from 8 to 16 mg once daily; amlodipine (5 mg once daily), hydrochl
orothiazide (25 mg once daily), and additional medication were also added s
equentially if necessary. Patients then entered a final 4-week, parallel-gr
oup, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled withdrawal period of cand
esartan alone. A total of 216 patients were recruited. After a 2-week run-i
n period on placebo tablets, mean sitting blood pressure (BP) was 175/108 m
m Hg. At the end of the 12-week dose-titration/maintenance period, mean sit
ting BP fell to 141/88 mm Hg. In 67 patients who were randomized to placebo
and had their candesartan withdrawn, there was a highly significant increa
se in mean systolic/diastolic BP (13/6 mm Hg) compared with those patients
who continued with candesartan (ANCOVA, P<0.0001). In conclusion, candesart
an cilexetil is an effective BP-lowering drug when used alone or in combina
tion with amlodipine or amlodipine plus hydrochlorothiazide in the treatmen
t of moderate-to-severe essential hypertension. The drug was well tolerated
throughout the investigation period.