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Home > Health Conditions > Hypertension > ARB

Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB)

Click here for why I feel that Micardis® (telmisartan) should be the first line treatment for hypertension.

Related Topics:

• Hypertension / pulse pressure / hardening of the arteries / angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) / ace inhibitors / calcium channel blockers / diuretics / beta blockers / Renin Inhibitors /  Vanlev (omapatrilat) / aldosterone blockers / dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium antagonist / first line treatment for hypertension

Popular ARBs:

• Cozaar® (losartan) / Diovan® (valsartan)  Avapro® (irbesartan) / Atacand® (candesartan) / Micardis® (telmisartan) / Benicar (olmesartan)

News & Research:

• Angiotensin-II Receptor Antagonists: Their Place in Therapy - American Academy of Family Physicians
• Effect of irbesartan on erectile function in patients with hypertension and metabolic syndrome - Int J Impot Res. 2008 Jul 3 - "Erectile function increased significantly (P<0.0001) after 6 months of treatment with irbesartan, irrespective of dosage and independent of additional treatment with hydrochlorothiazide. Prevalence of ED declined to 63.7% from 78.5% at baseline, along with a significant increase in orgasmic function (P<0.001) and intercourse satisfaction (P<0.001). Treatment with irbesartan alone, as well as in combination with hydrochlorothiazide is associated with an improvement of sexual desire, frequency of sexual contacts and erectile function in hypertensive patients with the metabolic syndrome. These results suggest a beneficial role of angiotensin receptor antagonists in the treatment of metabolic syndrome, and ED" - Note:  I've been suggesting telmisartan (an ARB) for some time as the first line treatment for hypertension.  See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.
• Hypertension Treatment Effective In Reversing Vascular Damage, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 6/17/08 - "A hypertension medication called olmesartan medoxomil is effective in reversing the narrowing of the arteries that occurs in patients with high blood pressure ... After one year of treatment, olmesartan medoxomil improved the artery abnormalities in high blood pressure patients and returned arterial architecture to normal levels. This was not seen with the atenolol"
• Telmisartan is more effective than losartan in reducing proteinuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy - Kidney Int. 2008 May 21 - "telmisartan is superior to losartan in reducing proteinuria in hypertensive patients with diabetic nephropathy, despite a similar reduction in blood pressure" - Just one more reason I feel telmisartan should be the first line treatment for hypertension if natural methods such as coenzyme Q10 don't work.  See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.com.
• Effects of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor and Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist Combination on Nitric Oxide Bioavailability and Atherosclerotic Change in Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic Rabbits - Hypertens Res. 2008 Mar;31(3):575-84 - "1) vehicle (control), 2) the ACEI enalapril (E: 3 mg/kg/day), 3) the ARB losartan (L: 30 mg/kg/day) and 4) enalapril (1.5 mg/kg/day) + losartan (15 mg/kg/day) (E+L). Intra-aortic infusion of ACh produced an increase in plasma NO concentration, which was significantly greater with all the drug treatments than with the control. E increased ACh-induced NO significantly more than L (by 6.9 nmol/L, and 4.7 nmol/L, respectively). E+L increased ACh-induced NO by 9.5 nmol/L, significantly more than either E or L ... the combined treatment with an ACEI and an ARB may have additive protective effects on endothelial function as well as atherosclerotic change"
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers, or Both for Patients With Proteinuria? A Best Evidence Review - Medscape, 5/20/08 - "Most significantly, the addition of ACEIs to ARBs reduced proteinuria to a greater degree than ARBs alone (ratio of means 0.76 at 1 to 4 months and 0.75 at 5 to 12 months). Combination therapy was also superior to treatment with ACEIs alone ... The 2 important conclusions that can be drawn from this meta-analysis are that ARBs are not superior to ACEIs in improving proteinuria, and that the combination of these 2 treatments appears superior in this outcome compared with either treatment alone ... Two of the biggest safety concerns regarding the combination therapy include the risks for hyperkalemia and acute worsening of renal function. A review of the literature, however, suggests that these risks may not be significantly worse with combination treatment vs monotherapy"
• Telmisartan increases fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle through a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma dependent pathway - J Hypertens. 2008 Jun;26(6):1209-1215 - "telmisartan may increase energy expenditure and protect against dietary induced obesity and features of the metabolic syndrome at least in part by increasing muscle fatty acid oxidation through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma"
• Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Telmisartan With Losartan in the Treatment of Patients With Hypertension - Am J Hypertens. 2008 May;21(5):546-52. Epub 2008 Mar 20 - "In comparison with losartan, telmisartan provides superior control of BP and has no association with increased risk of adverse events"
• Valsartan Improves Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetes Independently of Blood Pressure Lowering - Hypertension. 2008 Apr 21 - "Increased arterial stiffness, as estimated from aortic pulse wave velocity (Ao-PWV), and albuminuria are independent predictors for cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) ... Ao-PWV showed a significantly greater reduction, mean (95% CI), -0.9 m/s (-1.4 to -0.3) for valsartan/HCTZ compared to amlodipine (P=0.002). AER fell significantly only with Val/HCTZ from 30.8(20.4, 46.5) to 18.2(12.5, 26.3) mcg/min, (P=0.01) with between treatment difference in favor of Val/HCTZ of -15.3mcg/min" - Telmisartan, another ARB and my first line plug, will decrease arterial stiffness also.  See:
  • Angiotensin II Antagonist Telmisartan Fights Stiffening Arteries In Hypertensive Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "not only effectively lowered blood pressure compared with placebo, but also significantly decreased arterial stiffness" - See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.
• Blood Pressure Drugs Halt Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth, Researchers Find - Science Daily, 4/14/08 - "one type of pressure-lowering drug called an angiotensin receptor blocker inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth and causes cell death"
• Effects of telmisartan, a unique angiotensin receptor blocker with selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma-modulating activity, on nitric oxide bioavailability and atherosclerotic change - J Hypertens. 2008 May;26(5):964-972 - "In addition to a class effect of ARBs, telmisartan may have additional effects on nitric oxide bioavailability and atherosclerotic change through its PPARgamma-mediated effects in genetically hyperlipidemic rabbits" - Just one more reason to consider telmisartan as a first line treatment for hypertension. See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.com.
• Telmisartan, an Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blocker, Inhibits Advanced Glycation End-product (AGE)-elicited Hepatic Insulin Resistance via Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-gamma Activation - J Int Med Res. 2008 Mar-Apr;36(2):237-43 - "Candesartan, another ARB, did not affect AGEs-induced serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 at serine-307 residues in Hep3B cells. Our study suggests that telmisartan could improve AGE-elicited insulin resistance in Hep3B cells by inhibiting serine phosphorylation of IRS-1, at least in part, via activation of PPAR-gamma" - Note:  That might be another reason for considering telmisartan as a first line treatment for hypertension.  See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.com.
• Telmisartan, Ramipril, or Both in Patients at High Risk for Vascular Events - N Engl J Med. 2008 Mar 31 - "Telmisartan was equivalent to ramipril in patients with vascular disease or high-risk diabetes and was associated with less angioedema. The combination of the two drugs was associated with more adverse events without an increase in benefit" - Yeah but if you have to go with two drugs it sure seems like it's the least of all the evils regarding side effects.  See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.com.
• ONTARGET: ARB Similar to ACE - Medscape, 3/31/08 - "The angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) telmisartan (Micardis, Boehringer Ingelheim) was "noninferior" to the ACE inhibitor ramipril in patients with vascular disease or high-risk diabetes in the landmark ONTARGET trial"
• New Blood Pressure Medication Has Fewer Side Effects, Global Study Suggests - Science Daily, 3/31/08 - "The study found a new drug telmisartan is as effective as the popular drug ramipril in reducing cardiovascular death in high risk patients and it has fewer side effects" - I've been plugging telmisartan for some time now.  Click here.  See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.com.
• Telmisartan treatment decreases visceral fat accumulation and improves serum levels of adiponectin and vascular inflammation markers in Japanese hypertensive patients - Hypertens Res. 2007 Dec;30(12):1205-10 - "telmisartan treatment was associated with an improvement of vascular inflammation, reductions in visceral fat and increases in serum adiponectin"
• Angiotensin II receptor blocker inhibits tumour necrosis factor-alpha-induced cell damage in human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells - Nephrology (Carlton). 2008 Mar 5 - "The present study demonstrates that TNF-alpha induces renal tubular cell damage in RPTEC and AT1/AT2 receptor blockers showed cytoprotective effects probably via at least partly different mechanism"
• Treatment of hypertension in individuals with the cardiometabolic syndrome: role of an angiotensin II receptor blocker, telmisartan - Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2008 Mar;6(3):289-303 - "Concerning drug treatment of hypertension associated with other cardiometabolic risk factors, many results of head-to-head studies have demonstrated a reduction in new-onset Type 2 diabetes in hypertensive patients treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, when compared with conventional antihypertensive therapy. The explanations of the different actions of both these drugs include several mechanisms related to pancreatic insulin release and insulin sensitivity improvement. Another mechanism by which the inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system may improve insulin sensitivity is through the partial peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonism of telmisartan. For that reason, telmisartan has been considered by some experts to be an antihypertensive agent that is particularly useful in the treatment of hypertension associated with cardiometabolic risk factors"
• Reduced incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation with angiotensin II receptor blockade: the VALUE trial - J Hypertens. 2008 Mar;26(3):403-411 - "These findings suggest that angiotensin II receptor blockers may result in greater benefits than calcium antagonists in hypertensive patients at risk of new-onset AF"
• Effects of angiotensin II type 1-receptor blockade on retinal endothelial function - J Hypertens. 2008 Mar;26(3):516-22 - "AT1-receptor blockade with irbesartan improves endothelial function of the retinal vasculature, taken as a model of cerebral circulation"
• Effect of Telmisartan on Nitric Oxide-Asymmetrical Dimethylarginine System. Role of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor and Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor {gamma} Signaling During Endothelial Aging - Hypertension. 2008 Feb 4 - "Telmisartan, in addition to blocking angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 receptor (AT1R), activates peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) signaling that interferes with nitric oxide (NO) system. Because aging of endothelial cells (ECs) is hallmarked by a reduction in NO synthesis, we hypothesized that telmisartan increases NO formation by regulated asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA)-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH)-system through blocking AT1R and activating PPARgamma signaling ... During the process of aging, PPARgamma protein expression decreased significantly, whereas the expression of AT1R increased. Telmisartan reversed these effects and dose-dependently decreased reactive oxygen species and 8-iso-prostaglandin (PG) F2alpha formation ... telmisartan mainly by activating PPARgamma signaling can alter the catabolism and release of ADMA as an important cardiovascular risk factor. We therefore propose that telmisartan translationally and posttranslationally upregulated DDAH expression via activation of PPARgamma signaling, causing ADMA to diminish and increase NO synthesis sufficient to delay senescence"
• Establishing A New Option for Target-organ Protection: Rationale for ARB Plus ACE Inhibitor Combination Therapy - Am J Hypertens. 2008 Jan 24 - "Combination therapy targeting RAS activation may reduce target-organ damage and provide superior blood pressure (BP) control; combining angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) represents one possible approach"
• ACE Inhibitors or ARBs in Hypertension? In Chronic Kidney Disease? - Medscape, 1/17/07 - "ARBs and ACE inhibitors were similarly effective at lowering proteinuria, ARBs were more effective than calcium-channel blockers, and a combination of ARBs and ACE inhibitors was more effective than either agent alone"
• The effect of losartan on hemoglobin concentration and renal outcome in diabetic nephropathy of type 2 diabetes - Kidney Int. 2007 Dec 19 - "Compared with placebo, losartan treatment was associated with a significant decrease of hemoglobin, with the largest between-group difference at 1 year. After adjustment, there were significant relative risk reductions for losartan compared with placebo for ESRD and for ESRD or death regardless of the baseline hemoglobin even in those patients with a baseline hemoglobin below 120 g l(-1). Hence, the renoprotective properties of losartan were maintained despite a significant lowering of the hemoglobin concentration"
• Sustained Tubulo-interstitial Protection in SHRs by Transient Losartan Treatment: An Effect of Decelerated Aging? - Am J Hypertens. 2008 Jan 10 - "Transient losartan treatment reduces cell-turnover not only acutely but also for a prolonged period after drug withdrawal. This results in the long-term in reduced aging and attenuated tubulo-interstitial damage, suggesting there exists a modulating effect of angiotensin II (ANGII)-antagonism on long-term cell turnover" - Note:  Losartan is an ARB.  I would think that telmisartan (also and ARB and my recommendation for hypertension) would give the same effect.
• ACE Inhibitors vs ARBs in HTN and in CKD - Medscape, 1/4/08 - "In the setting of chronic kidney disease (CKD), concludes the other study, which is a meta-analysis, ACE inhibitor and ARB monotherapy are similarly effective at reducing proteinuria, but a combination of the two angiotensin-2-suppressing drugs works better than either agent individually [2]. But a blanket recommendation to combine them would be premature, according to the authors, because there is little evidence that the combination would improve clinical outcomes over monotherapy, and the safety of such combination therapy is largely undefined"
• Anti-atherosclerotic properties of telmisartan in advanced atherosclerotic lesions in apolipoprotein E deficient mice - Atherosclerosis. 2007 Dec 17 - "These data suggest that chronic inhibition of the RAS by telmisartan prevails in reducing advanced atherosclerosis and promoting plaque stability over ramipril, possibly through the reduced activity of the pro-inflammatory transcription factors NFkappaB and Egr-1 and through the activation of PPARgamma"
• Blood Pressure Drug Telmisartan Shows Powerful Activity Against Stroke, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "83 percent of rats given no medication showed signs of stroke, as did 56 percent of rats given ramipril alone. However, no strokes were noted in the telmisartan-only or the telmisartan/ramipril combo groups ... Telmisartan's ability to easily pass through the blood-brain barrier (something ramipril cannot do) is likely behind the neuroprotective effect noted in the study"
• Effect of the Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Irbesartan on Metabolic Parameters in Clinical Practice: the DO-IT Prospective Observational Study - Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2007 Nov 27;6(1):36 - "Six months of irbesartan therapy decreased systolic blood pressure by 14% (157.4+/-14.7 vs. 135.0+/-10.7 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure by 13% (92.9+/-9.2 vs. 80.8+/-6.8 mmHg). This was associated with a decrease in body weight (-2.3%), fasting glucose (-9.5%), HbA1c (-4.6%), LDL-cholesterol (-11%), triglycerides (-16%) and gamma-GT (-12%) and an increase in HDL-cholesterol (+5%)"
• Renoprotective effect of the addition of losartan to ongoing treatment with an Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor in type-2 diabetic patients with nephropathy - Hypertens Res. 2007 Oct;30(10):929-35 - "During the 12-month treatment, addition of losartan or addition of an ACE-I to the treatment protocol reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 10% and 12%, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 7% and 4%, and urinary albumin excretion by 38% and 20% of the baseline value, respectively. However, the effects on both BP and urinary albumin were not significantly different between the two therapies. In conclusion, addition of losartan or an ACE-I to an ongoing treatment with an ACE-I, or addition of an ACE-I to ongoing treatment with a conventional antihypertensive were equally effective at reducing the urinary albumin excretion and BP, and provided renal protection in patients with type-2 diabetic nephropathy"
• Systematic Review: Comparative Effectiveness of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers for Treating Essential Hypertension - Ann Intern Med. 2007 Nov 5 - "Available evidence shows that ACE inhibitors and ARBs have similar effects on blood pressure control, and that ACE inhibitors have higher rates of cough than ARBs. Data regarding other outcomes are limited"
• High-Dose Candesartan Reduces Persistent Proteinuria - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/07
• Candesartan Improves Outcomes in Diabetes, Kidney Patients - Doctor's Guide, 11/8/07 - "new onset diabetes occurred in just 1.1% of the 1,024 patents on candesartan compared with 2.9% of the patients treated with other blood pressure lowering medications that did not include angiotensin receptor blockers ... "We observed that treatment with candesartan reduced that risk by 63% (P =.027)," he said during a press briefing. He also noted that patients on candesartan had fewer adverse events than the 1,025 patients who received standard therapy" - I would have liked to see telmisartan (also an ARB) in this study.
• Common Medications Provide Equal Blood Pressure Control - Doctor's Guide, 11/2/07 - "Two common classes of blood pressure medications – angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) – are equally effective at controlling high blood pressure ... ACEIs are slightly more likely than ARBs to cause a harmless but persistent dry cough ... If left untreated, high blood pressure can cause catastrophic health problems: the heart may enlarge, which can lead to heart failure; small bulges --aneurysms -- may form in blood vessels, including the aorta (the main artery to the heart) and others in the brain, legs, and intestines; blood vessels in the kidney may narrow, causing kidney failure; blood vessels in the eyes may burst or bleed, possibly leading to blindness; and arteries throughout the body may "harden" faster, potentially leading to heart attack or stroke"
• Renoprotection provided by losartan in combination with pioglitazone is superior to renoprotection provided by losartan alone in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy - Kidney Blood Press Res. 2007;30(4):203-11 - "Renoprotection conferred by losartan combined with pioglitazone is superior to that conferred by losartan alone in subjects with type 2 diabetic nephropathy. The combination is generally well tolerated"
• Drugs For Hypertension May Help Prevent And Treat Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 10/26/07 - "mice genetically determined to develop Alzheimer's disease beta-amyloid production and subsequent cognitive deterioration, significantly benefit from the treatment with the anti-hypertensive agent Valsartan, found to pharmacologically prevent beta-amyloid production in the brain even when delivered to Alzheimer's disease mice at doses 3-4 fold lower than the minimal equivalent dose prescribed for the treatment of hypertension in humans. Other anti-hypertension drugs with beneficial results included Propranolol HCI, Carvedilol, Losartan, Nicardipine HCI, Amiloride HCI and Hydralazine HCI" - Note:  I'm big on Micardis (telmisartan).  Valsartan and losartan (generic names so they shouldn't have been capitalized) are also ARBs.  I'm wondering if telmisartan was in the study.
• Do ACE inhibitors and ARBs mix well? Analysis urges caution - theheart.org, 10/10/07 - "patients receiving both an ACE inhibitor and an ARB were more likely not to comply with therapy due to side effects, which included hypotension, cough, angioedema, worsening renal function as defined by a change in serum creatinine >0.5 mg/dL, hyperkalemia as defined by serum potassium level changes >5.5 mEq/L, and symptomatic hypotension"
• Adverse Effects of Combination Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers Plus Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors for Left Ventricular Dysfunction: A Quantitative Review of Data From Randomized Clinical Trials - Arch Intern Med. 2007 Oct 8;167(18):1930-6 - "there were significant increases in worsening renal function (RR, 2.17 [95% CI, 1.59-2.97] and RR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.31-1.98], respectively), hyperkalemia (RR, 4.87 [95% CI, 2.39-9.94] and RR, 1.33 [95% CI, 0.90-1.98], respectively"
• Prevention of stroke in patients with hypertension - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Aug 6;100(3A):17J-24J - "In contrast to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) provide consistent benefits in stroke protection beyond blood pressure lowering. The ARB telmisartan has a particularly interesting profile for stroke management. Selective angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockade and 24-hour blood pressure control with telmisartan provide the potential for improved stroke prevention"
• Rationale for double renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Aug 6;100(3A):25J-31J - "The clinical benefits of both angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) extend beyond blood pressure reduction to encompass tissue-protective effects in target organs, such as the heart, vasculature, and kidneys, that underlie the reductions in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity seen in large outcome trials. However, these effects are achieved by different mechanisms. ACE inhibitors reduce circulating and tissue angiotensin II levels and potentiate the beneficial effects of bradykinin, including generation of nitric oxide (NO). By contrast, the protective effects of ARBs are owing to the blockade of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT(1)) receptors and possibly also to the stimulation of angiotensin II type 2 (AT(2)) receptors, again resulting in NO release. In addition, some ARBs, such as telmisartan, are selective activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), thereby increasing insulin sensitivity. In contrast to other PPAR-gamma ligands, such as the thiazolidinediones, activation of this receptor by telmisartan does not result in weight gain. The complementary mechanisms of action of ACE inhibitors and ARBs create a rationale for combination therapy in high-risk patients"
• Angiotensin receptor blockers versus angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: where do we stand now? - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Aug 6;100(3A):38J-44J - "Both classes of agent can prevent or reverse endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, thereby potentially reducing the risk of cardiovascular events. Such a reduction has been shown with ACE inhibitors in patients with coronary artery disease, but no such data are currently available for ARBs. Both ACE inhibitors and ARBs have been shown to reduce damage in target organs, such as the heart and kidney, and to decrease cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in patients with congestive heart failure"
• New opportunities in cardiovascular patient management: a survey of clinical data on the combination of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Aug 6;100(3A):45J-52J - "Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) differ in their actions on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). ACE inhibitors prevent the formation of angiotensin II, although angiotensin II may still be generated by alternative pathways. However, ACE inhibitors interrupt bradykinin breakdown, which in turn potentially enhances nitric oxide and prostacyclin mechanisms. In contrast, ARBs selectively prevent the binding of angiotensin II to the angiotensin type 1 (AT(1)) receptor while leaving the potentially beneficial effects of the AT(2) receptor unaffected. The supposition is that dual blockade of the RAAS effectively overcomes the harmful effects of angiotensin II mediated by the AT(1) receptor while offering the additional effects of the ACE inhibitor"
• Telmisartan Improves Endothelial Function and Nitrate Tolerance in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease and the Metabolic Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 9/11/07 - "Telmisartan is mainly an angiotensin II receptor blocker, but recently it has [shown] antioxidant effects and insulin resistance improvement effects ... After 4 weeks of treatment, the endothelium-dependant measure of flow-mediated dilatation was significantly increased in the telmisartan group (P <.01, vs control group), indicating improvements in endothelial dysfunction with telmisartan"
• ACE-I/ARB treatment in type 1 diabetes patients with albuminuria is associated with lower odds of progression of coronary artery calcification - J Diabetes Complications. 2007 Sep-Oct;21(5):273-9 - "coronary artery calcification (CAC) ... In backward logistic regression, presence of albuminuria at baseline predicted progression of CAC among subjects not treated with ACE-I/ARB [odds ratio=4.06 ... Among the subjects with albuminuria, the odds of progression was 62% lower (95% CI=88% decrease to 23% increase; P=.106) in those treated with ACE-I/ARB ... Albuminuria is a significant independent risk factor for CAC progression in young type 1 diabetes patients asymptomatic for CAD, and ACE-I/ARB treatment is associated with substantially lower odds of CAC progression"
• Heart Damage Can Be Reversed with Early Treatment - Science Daily, 8/27/07 - "During the first six months of the study, 38 subjects received a placebo, and the other 38 subjects took 160mg of Valsartan, a drug that blocks a hormone that is detrimental to the blood vessels and the heart. During the next six months, both groups took Valsartan ... Those who took the drug for the first six months significantly reduced their Rasmussen Disease Score compared with those who took the placebo. At the 12-month mark -- after both groups were taking the drug -- every patient showed better Rasmussen Disease Scores, effectively demonstrating that Valsartan can slow progression and even reverse early cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic high-risk patients"
• Telmisartan, an Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blocker, Inhibits Advanced Glycation End-product (AGE)-induced Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Expression in Mesangial Cells Through Downregulation of Receptor for AGEs via Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-gamma Activation - J Int Med Res. 2007 Jul-Aug;35(4):482-9 - "Candesartan, an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker, did not suppress AGEs-induced superoxide generation. Telmisartan and the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, completely inhibited AGEs-induced MCP-1 overproduction by mesangial cells"
• Vitamin C 'benefits diabetics' - BBC News, 6/28/07 - "Vitamin C neutralises free radicals, while Telmisarten stimulates the natural removal of the molecules by cells"
• Telmisartan Staves Off Overt Diabetic Nephropathy - Medscape, 6/27/07 - "During a mean follow-up of 1.3 years, transition rates to overt nephropathy were significantly lower with telmisartan 40 mg (22.6%) and telmisartan 80 mg (16.7%) than with placebo (49.9%)"
• Angiotensin Receptor Blockers: Benefits Beyond Blood Pressure Lowering? - Medscape, 6/26/07 - "I would say that at this time, both ACE inhibitors and ARBs can be said to be useful in preventing or delaying progression of nondiabetic patients into type 2 diabetes"
• Baseline Glycaemic Control Has No Effect on Telmisartan-Related Improvements in Diabetics With Nephropathy - Doctor's Guide, 6/25/07 - "Chronic telmisartan treatment may slow the progression of renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy, irrespective of baseline glycaemic control"
• Telmisartan May Help Preserve Renal Function in Patients With Hypertension, Diabetes - Medscape, 6/1/07 - "In patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes, telmisartan and ramipril both may help preserve cardiovascular and renal function by increasing nitric oxide (NO) activity of the renal endothelium"
• The Differential Effects of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers on Microalbuminuria in Relation to Low-Grade Inflammation in Metabolic Hypertensive Patients - Am J Hypertens. 2007 May;20(5):565-72 - "There was a significant increase in high molecular weight adiponectin in the telmisartan group ... The reductions of microalbuminuria and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were significant in the telmisartan group"
• Telmisartan-Hydrochlorothiazide Outperforms Valsartan-Hydrochlorothiazide for Blood Pressure Reduction - Doctor's Guide, 5/29/07 - "The change in diastolic blood pressure was -18.2 mmHg for the telmisartan-hydrochlorothiazide group and -17.0 mmHg for the valsartan-hydrochlorothiazide group. The change in systolic blood pressure was -24.6 mmHg and -22.5 for the two groups, respectively"
• Telmisartan Reduces Proteinuria More Than Losartan - Doctor's Guide, 5/28/07 - "Our findings suggest that at similar levels of blood pressure control, telmisartan may confer greater protection against progression to end-stage renal disease"
• Metabolic effects of telmisartan and irbesartan in type 2 diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome treated with rosiglitazone - J Clin Pharm Ther. 2007 Jun;32(3):261-8 - "Telmisartan seemed to improve glycaemic and lipid control and metabolic parameters of the metabolic syndrome better than irbesartan"
• Combination therapy with an ACE inhibitor and an angiotensin receptor blocker for diabetic nephropathy: a meta-analysis - Diabet Med. 2007 May;24(5):486-93 - "This meta-analysis suggests that ACEI + ARB reduces 24-h proteinuria to a greater extent than ACEI alone. This benefit is associated with small effects on GFR, serum creatinine, potassium and blood pressure"
• The effect of telmisartan and ramipril on early morning blood pressure surge: a pooled analysis of two randomized clinical trials - Blood Press Monit. 2007 Jun;12(3):141-147 - "Telmisartan significantly reduced the early morning systolic blood pressure surge compared with ramipril"
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers downsize adipocytes in spontaneously type 2 diabetic rats with visceral fat obesity - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Apr;20(4):431-6 - "adipocyte downsizing was significantly greater with telmisartan compared to valsartan. The likely mechanism for this difference was thought to be the PPAR-gamma-mediated action of telmisartan"
• Combination ACE inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker therapy - future considerations - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2007 Jan;9(1):78-86. - "The individual gains seen with each of these drug classes have led to speculation that their combination might offer additive if not synergistic outcome benefits. The foundation of this hypothesis, although biologically possible, has thus far not been sufficiently well proven to support the everyday use of these 2 drug classes in combination. Additional outcomes trials, which are currently proceeding to their conclusion, may provide the necessary proof to support an expanded use of these 2 drug classes in combination"
• Treating the metabolic syndrome - Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2007 May;5(3):491-506 - "appropriate treatment of MS components often requires pharmacologic intervention with insulin-sensitizing agents, such as metformin and thiazolidinediones, while statins and fibrates, or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers are the first-line lipid-modifying or antihypertensive drugs"
• Novel ARB Provides Greater Reductions in Proteinuria in Diabetics With Overt Nephropathy - Medscape, 5/22/07 - "One year of treatment with the novel angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) telmisartan provided greater reductions in proteinuria when compared with losartan, a drug approved for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy to prevent renal-disease progression"
• Valsartan Cuts C-Reactive Protein Levels in Prediabetics - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/07 - "In diabetic patients with abdominal obesity, after 16 weeks of hydrochlorothiazide therapy, median hsCRP values were increased 16% (4.9 vs 3.7 mg/L at baseline, P <.05) but decreased 9% in patients on valsartan (3.7 vs 4.1 mg/L at baseline, P <.05) and 5% in patients on combination therapy"
• Valsartan Is a Prudent Choice in Young Hypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/07
• ARBs for the Treatment of Heart Failure: A Class Effect? - Medscape, 5/15/07 - "Our results suggest that all ARBs are not equivalent. Valsartan, irbesartan, and candesartan were all associated with better survival rates when compared with losartan. The comparison for telmisartan was not statistically significant, possibly because this group included the smallest number of patients. In addition, there are no data from randomized trials on the effect of telmisartan on mortality in patients with heart failure"
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers for the treatment of heart failure: a class effect? - Pharmacotherapy. 2007 Apr;27(4):526-34 - "Elderly patients with heart failure who were prescribed losartan had worse survival rates compared with those prescribed other commonly used ARBs"
• Metabolic effects of telmisartan and irbesartan in type 2 diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome treated with rosiglitazone - J Clin Pharm Ther. 2007 Jun;32(3):261-8 - "Telmisartan seemed to improve glycaemic and lipid control and metabolic parameters of the metabolic syndrome better than irbesartan. These differences could be relevant in the choice of therapy for this condition and diabetes"
• Effect of antihypertensive agents on plasma adiponectin levels in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome - Nephrology (Carlton). 2007 Apr;12(2):147-53 - "Ramipril and valsartan increased the plasma adiponectin levels significantly higher than the other regimens"
• Effects of telmisartan on fat distribution in individuals with the metabolic syndrome - J Hypertens. 2007 Apr;25(4):841-8 - "The visceral fat area, determined by abdominal computed tomography scan, was reduced in the telmisartan group after 24 weeks' treatment"
• Telmisartan shows an equivalent effect of vitamin C in further improving endothelial dysfunction after glycemia normalization in type 1 diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2007 Apr 24 - "Combining insulin and vitamin C normalized endothelial dysfunction and decreased oxidative stress to normal level. Telmisartan significantly improved basal endothelial function and decreased nitrotyrosine plasma levels. In patients treated with Telmisartan a near normalization of both flow mediated vasodilation and oxidative stress was achieved when glycemia was normalized, while adding vitamin C infusion did not show further effect on endothelial function or nitrotyrosine plasma levels"
• The effects of telmisartan and amlodipine on metabolic parameters and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic, hypertensive patients - J Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Syst. 2006 Dec;7(4):243-6 - "Group A: rosiglitazone (RSG) 4 mg + Telm 80 mg; Group B: RSG 4 mg + Aml 10 mg ... Lower values of glucose, HbA1C, HOMA index and higher adiponectin levels were observed in Group A compared to Group B ... insulin sensitivity may confer make Telm particularly suitable in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome"
• ACE Inhibitors Provide Greater Heart Protection - Science Daily, 4/22/07 - "Our research evaluated the effects of both drugs, and found that they both provided comparable blood pressure reduction. However, ACE inhibitors reduced the risk of coronary heart disease in patients by a further 9%. This so-called blood pressure-independent effect was not seen for ARBs"
• FDA Panel Favors First-Line Use of Irbesartan/HCTZ Combo - Medscape, 4/19/07 - "The US FDA Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee recommended extended use of the combination product irbesartan plus hydrochlorothiazide (Avalide, Bristol-Myers Squibb) for the first-line treatment of hypertension" - Yeah, if you can get by the side effects of hydrochlorothiazide plus the increased chance of diabetes.  Irbesartan is a ARB and hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic.  I'm not a doctor and here I am criticizing those who are but I still feel that telmisartan (a ARB)/ramipril (a ACE inhibitor) should be the first time treatment.  Click here for the research.   Some doctors claim you can't mix a ARB with an ACE inhibitor but I couldn't find any evidence of that.
• Treating hypertension in the patient with overt diabetic nephropathy - Semin Nephrol. 2007 Mar;27(2):182-94 - "The renoprotective and proteinuria-decreasing effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers recommend these agents as the standard of care in type 2 diabetic nephropathy"
• The effects of irbesartan and telmisartan on metabolic parameters and blood pressure in obese, insulin resistant, hypertensive patients - J Endocrinol Invest. 2006 Dec;29(11):957-61 - "The greater impact on the improvement of the metabolic profile showed by telmisartan and the inverse correlation between adiponectin levels and blood pressure may be partly due to the action as partial PPARgamma agonist displayed by telmisartan"
• Effect of inhibition of the Renin-Angiotensin system on development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (meta-analysis of randomized trials) - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Apr 1;99(7):1006-12. Epub 2007 Feb 16 - "In ACE inhibitor trials, the odds of developing DM were reduced by 28% (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.84, p <0.001), and in the 5 ARB studies, there was a 27% reduction (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.84, p <0.001) in the odds. In conclusion, evidence accumulated to date indicates that inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system may contribute to the prevention of DM"
• Effect of losartan, compared with atenolol, on endothelial function and oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension - J Hypertens. 2007 Apr;25(4):785-791 - "losartan significantly improved endothelial function in type 2 diabetes patients with hypertension compared with atenolol. This must be independent of the blood pressure-lowering effect of losartan and is probably caused by an antioxidative effect of the angiotensin receptor blocker"
• Telmisartan and irbesartan therapy in type 2 diabetic patients treated with rosiglitazone: effects on insulin-resistance, leptin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha - Hypertens Res. 2006 Nov;29(11):849-56 - "The decrease in HbA1c and FPG at 12 months was statistically significant only in the telmisartan group"
• Angiotensin receptor blockade in diabetic renal disease-Focus on candesartan - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2007 Mar 3 - "In patients with type 2 diabetes and varying degrees of albuminuria, treatment with candesartan 8-32mg daily was shown to reduce urinary albumin excretion (UAE) by up to 60%. When given in addition to an ACE inhibitor (dual blockade), reductions in UAE of 25-35% relative to ACE inhibitor monotherapy have been found"
• Impact of Telmisartan Versus Ramipril on Renal Endothelial Function in Patients with Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2007 Mar 2 - "In patients with type 2 diabetes telmisartan and ramipril both increased NO activity of the renal endothelium significantly that in turn may support the preservation of cardiovascular and renal function"
• Angiotensin type-1 receptor blockade with losartan increases insulin sensitivity and improves glucose homeostasis in subjects with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy - Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2007 Feb 17 - "Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, AUC glucose, and urinary protein values were significantly decreased in the losartan group as compared with the amlodipine group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, C-peptide concentrations, the insulin sensitivity index, and the insulin-to-glucose ratio were significantly increased after 3 months of therapy with losartan as compared to amlodipine"
• The effects of irbesartan and telmisartan on metabolic parameters and blood pressure in obese, insulin resistant, hypertensive patients - J Endocrinol Invest. 2006 Dec;29(11):957-61 - "Group A (23) was submitted to irbesartan 150 mg/day, Group B (23) to telmisartan 80 mg/day for 6 months ... Both irbesartan or telmisartan reduced blood pressure and ameliorated the insulin sensitivity, with increased adiponectin values; in Group B, the amelioration of metabolic parameters was greater than in Group A"
• Telmisartan improves lipid metabolism and adiponectin production but does not affect glycemic control in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes - Adv Ther. 2007 Jan-Feb;24(1):146-53 - "Triglyceride levels were significantly decreased, however, and adiponectin levels were significantly increased"
• Telmisartan reduced blood pressure and HOMA-IR with increasing plasma leptin level in hypertensive and type 2 diabetic patients - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2007 Jan 18 - "Fasting IRI and HOMA-IR were significantly decreased after Telmisartan treatment, suggesting the improved insulin sensitivity"
• The effect of telmisartan on glucose and lipid metabolism in nondiabetic, insulin-resistant subjects - Metabolism. 2006 Sep;55(9):1149-54 - "in insulin-resistant persons 12 weeks of telmisartan result in a significant improvement in glucose metabolism with a predominant improvement in beta-cell function"
• Blood Pressure Drugs Could Help Halt Pancreatic Cancer Spread, Researchers Find - Science Daily, 12/8/06 - "two types of pressure-lowering drugs -- ACE inhibitors and AT1R blockers -- may help reduce the development of tumor-feeding blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. Such drugs, they say, may become part of a novel strategy to control the growth and spread of cancer ... In the test tube, Ang II significantly enhanced VEGF production in AT1R-positive cells. Captopril and losartan both blocked this effect"
• Study Shows Valsartan Reduced Urinary Protein Excretion in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and High Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 11/20/06 - "In patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, the blood pressure-lowering medication Diovan® (valsartan) significantly reduced urinary protein excretion, with high doses providing the greatest sustained reduction"
  • 24-hour urine protein - Medline Plus - "Increased urinary protein is usually measured when glomerular disease is suspected. The deterioration in the integrity of the glomerulus allows albumin to permeate in large quantities. Glomerular disease, such as nephrotic syndrome may result in urine protein (mostly urine albumin) of greater than 3.5 gm/day. So-called microalbuminuria with urine albumin levels of 30 to 200 mg/day is considered an early sign of diabetic nephropathy."
• Improved insulin sensitivity with the angiotensin II-receptor blocker losartan in patients with hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors - J Hum Hypertens. 2006 Sep 21 - "angiotensin II-receptor blockade with losartan improves glucose metabolism at the cellular level beyond what can be expected by the vasodilatation and blood pressure reduction alone"
• Effect of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers on the Rate of New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus: A Review and Pooled Analysis - Pharmacotherapy. 2006 Sep;26(9):1297-306 - "The combined occurrence of new-onset diabetes in all 13 studies was 2249 cases among 31,283 patients (7.2%) in the ACE inhibitor or ARB group versus 3230 cases among 35,988 patients (9.0%) in the control group"
• Cardiovascular Events Reduced in Japanese JIKEI Study With Valsartan - Doctor's Guide, 9/5/06 - "Blood pressure control was equal in both arms of the study, but the difference in outcomes was substantial and there were significant decreases in cardiovascular events with valsartan, specifically stroke, bouts of angina, heart failure and the need for hospitalization due to cardiac events"
• Short-term administration of an angiotensin-receptor antagonist in patients with impaired fasting glucose improves insulin sensitivity and increases free IGF-I - Eur J Endocrinol. 2006 Aug;155(2):293-6 - "received 100 mg losartan during 8 weeks ... After the treatment period, the HOMA score for insulin resistance had decreased from 5.3 +/- 1.1 to 3.7 +/- 0.9 (P = 0.004) and the 2-h CIGMA score from 23.4 +/- 3.1 to 15.9 +/- 2.1 (P = 0.07). The serum levels of free IGF-I had increased from 57 +/- 18.8 to 134 +/- 31.3 pmol/l" - Does that mean you can more than double you IGF-1 just by taking an ARB instead of hGH?  I don't know.  See losartan at OffshoreRX.com. - Ben
• Renal and vascular protective effects of telmisartan in patients with essential hypertension - Hypertens Res. 2006 Aug;29(8):567-72 - "telmisartan is more effective at protecting renal function and vascular endothelial function, and at improving arteriosclerosis than the calcium channel blocker in patients with essential hypertension"
• ACE Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists and the Incidence of New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus : An Emerging Theme - Drugs. 2006;66(9):1169-1177 - "These trials have demonstrated an approximately 15-30% reduction in the new onset of diabetes in those receiving ACE inhibitors and ARBs when compared with placebo or other active therapy"
• Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Added to Previous Antihypertensive Agents on Arteries of Diabetic Hypertensive Patients - Hypertension. 2006 Jun 19 - "After 1 year of treatment, resistance artery media:lumen ratio decreased in the valsartan group (7.9+/-0.5% after versus 9.8+/-0.6% before; P<0.05) but not in the atenolol-treated group"
• Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation Significantly Reduced by Candesartan Cilexetil Therapy in Heart Failure Patients - Doctor's Guide, 7/5/06
• Telmisartan Provides Superior, Powerful Blood Pressure Reduction From Morning to Morning Compared to Other Leading ARBS - Doctor's Guide, 6/15/06 - "telmisartan provides superior, powerful blood pressure reduction from morning to morning compared to other leading angiotensin II receptor blockers"
• Valsartan the First Blood Pressure Medication in a Large-Scale Clinical Trial to Lower C-Reactive Protein, an Important Marker of Inflammation - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/06 - "The median change in hsCRP from baseline after six weeks in the Diovan group was -0.12 mg/L compared to +0.05 mg/L in the Diovan HCT group, representing a difference between the treatment groups of 13.3%"
• Valsartan Lowers C-reactive Protein Levels; Combination Doesn't - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/06 - "Paradoxically, adding a diuretic to valsartan (Diovan) allows even more patients to reach blood pressure goals -- but appears to raise levels of C-reactive protein ... the monotherapy patients achieved an 8.9% reduction while the combination patients experienced a 4.4% increase"
• Reduced Diabetes Likelihood in Hypertensives Starting Valsartan Treatment - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/06 - "Over a mean follow-up of 4.2 years, the risk of diabetes was 11.5% for valsartan versus 14.5% for amlodipine; the odds ratio was 0.77 in favor of valsartan"
• New treatment strategies for patients with hypertension and insulin resistance - Am J Med. 2006 May;119(5 Suppl 1):S24-30 - "older antihypertensive agents such as thiazide diuretics and beta-blockers have potentially adverse effects on glucose and lipid metabolism and may even the exacerbate the metabolic syndrome and increase risk of type 2 diabetes ... Evidence is accumulating that telmisartan, in addition to blocking the angiotensin II type 1 receptor, activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma a well-known target for treatment of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes ... the ability of telmisartan both to activate PPAR-gamma and to block the angiotensin receptor may provide added value not only in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome and prevention of type 2 diabetes but also in prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease"
• Telmisartan: The ACE of ARBs?  - Sharma 47 (5): 822 -- Hypertension, 3/27/06 - "telmisartan also reduced weight gain, increased total energy expenditure, and increased expression of key mitochondrial enzymes (cyclooxygenase-1 and mitochondrial transcription factor A) in skeletal muscle"
• New Drug Delays High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 3/14/06 - "the blood-pressure-lowering drug Atacand may be able to delay the development of full-blown hypertension among people whose blood pressure is slightly high ... taking the drug for two years appeared to prime the body to keep blood pressure in check, even when the person stopped the drug for another two years"
• ACE Inhibitors and ARBs vs. Other Antihypertensives - Medscape, 3/9/06 - "When diabetics and nondiabetics were analyzed together, ACE inhibitors or ARBs were significantly more effective than other antihypertensives in reducing ESRD incidence, serum creatinine levels, and albuminuria, but they had no significant effect on preventing doubling of serum creatinine or reduction in GFR. In diabetics, ACE inhibitors or ARBs were significantly more effective than other antihypertensives only in reducing albuminuria; in nondiabetics, ACE inhibitors or ARBs were more effective than other agents only in reducing albuminuria and serum creatinine levels"
• Blood pressure control in eldery hypertension - Nippon Rinsho. 2006 Jan;64(1):75-80 - "Because ACE inhibitors/ARBs or Ca blockers increase insulin sensitivity, these drugs should be used as the first choice in cases of elderly hypertensive patients complicated with diabetes mellitus"
• Valsartan Inhibits Platelets (VIP) Trial - Medscape, 2/3/06
• Addition of an angiotensin receptor blocker to full-dose ACE-inhibition: controversial or common sense? - Eur Heart J. 2005 Nov;26(22):2361-7 - "combination of a full-dose ACE-inhibitor and an ARB can be a rational choice in selected patients" - [full article]
• Olmesartan Improves Insulin Resistance in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients - Doctor's Guide, 11/15/05
• Titration-Extension Study Shows Losartan-Based Treatment Significantly Reduced Blood Pressure in Real-Life Practice Settings - Doctor's Guide, 10/24/05
• A Debate on the Metabolic Syndrome: Evolving Challenges and Controversies - Medscape, exp. 8/31/07 - "Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are first-line treatments for hypertensive albuminurics with the metabolic syndrome"
• Preliminary Studies Suggest Potential Metabolic Effects of Micardis (Telmisartan) - Doctor's Guide, 9/9/05 - "The Micardis molecule is structurally similar to the PPAR-gamma activator, pioglitazone,3 which has been approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.7 Micardis partially activates PPAR-gamma resulting in metabolic effects that differentiate it from other ARBs, according to preclinical data.1-4 These data demonstrate that Micardis has a beneficial effect on insulin resistance and blood lipids, independent of its effect on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system"
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or Angiotensin receptor blockers for prevention of type 2 diabetes a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials - J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Sep 6;46(5):821-6 - "ACE inhibitors and ARBs were associated with reductions in the incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes by 27% and 23%, respectively, and by 25% in the pooled analysis ... The use of an ACE inhibitor or ARB should be considered in patients with pre-diabetic conditions such as metabolic syndrome, hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, family history of diabetes, obesity, congestive heart failure, or coronary heart disease"
• Comparison of the effects of valsartan and felodipine on plasma leptin and insulin sensitivity in hypertensive obese patients - Hypertens Res. 2005 Mar;28(3):209-14 - "These results suggest that in hypertensive obese subjects, treatment with valsartan might offer an advantage over treatment with felodipine, since valsartan may help to improve obesity-related disorders in addition to lowering BP"
• Strategies to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 8/8/05 - "Valsartan reduced the incidence of new-onset diabetes by 23% ... Traditional beta-blockers worsen insulin sensitivity and increase the risk of developing new diabetes"
• FDA Approves Diovan (Valsartan) to Reduce Cardiovascular Death in Heart Attack Survivors at High Risk - Doctor's Guide, 8/4/05 - "was a rigorous comparison of Diovan vs. captopril, an ACE inhibitor, vs. the combination of both ... Diovan was reported to improve survival and reduce cardiovascular events including recurrent heart attack and hospitalizations for heart failure in these patients"
• Antihypertensive, cardiovascular, and pleiotropic effects of angiotensin-receptor blockers - Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2005 Sep;14(5):435-41 - "it has been shown that treatment with ARBs prevents the development of type 2 diabetes ... ARBs are first-line agents for the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Blocking the renin-angiotensin system with these agents has special advantages due to specific vascular and antiatherosclerotic effects, which contribute to a better cardiovascular and renal protection in patients at risk from or with cardiovascular disease"
• Stabilization and Regression of Albuminuria in Chinese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A One-year Randomized Study of Valsartan Versus Enalapril - Adv Ther. 2005 Mar-Apr;22(2):155-62 - "enalapril and valsartan both reduced blood pressure and albuminuria to a similar extent ... Fewer adverse events were reported with valsartan"
• Atacand Therapy Can Reduce Risk of Diabetes in Heart Failure Patients - Doctor's Guide, 7/4/05 - "Six percent of patients in the candesartan group were newly diagnosed with diabetes during the study period (median 3.1 year), compared to 7.4% in the placebo group"
• Effects of irbesartan on intracellular antioxidant enzyme expression and activity in adolescents and young adults with early diabetic angiopathy - Diabetes Care. 2005 Jul;28(7):1690-7 - "Adolescents and young adults with early signs of diabetic angiopathy have defective intracellular antioxidant enzyme production and activity. Treatment with irbesartan can substantially improve the activity and production of these enzymes in skin fibroblasts"
• Effects of Valsartan Compared to Amlodipine in Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in High-Risk Hypertensive Patients: Presented at EMH - Doctor's Guide, 6/24/05 - "Valsartan is significantly superior to amlodipine for prevention of new-onset type-2 diabetes in high-risk patients with hypertension"
• Administration Time-Dependent Efficacy of Valsartan-Atorvastatin Combination in Hyperlipidaemic Patients With Essential Hypertension: Presented at EMH - Doctor's Guide, 6/22/05 - "160-mg/day dose of valsartan ... 10 mg/day of atorvastatin ... combination treatment significantly improved systolic/diastolic blood pressure levels (SBP/DBP) compared to monotherapy (17.1/10.7 vs. 13.9/9.6 mm Hg; P = .027). The same benefit was seen in terms of pulse pressure (6.4 vs. 4.3 mm Hg ... there were large significant increases in efficacy seen with the valsartan/atorvastatin combination dosed at night versus morning (SBP, 23.5 vs. 11.0 mm Hg; DBP, 15.9 vs. 6.8 mm Hg; pulse pressure, 7.8 vs. 4.1 mm Hg"
• Valsartan Significant Better Than Amlodipine for Improving Long-term Heart-rate Variability in Patients With LVH: Presented at EMH - Doctor's Guide, 6/20/05
• Irbesartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Helps Patients with Metabolic Syndrome and Poorly Controlled Hypertension: Presented at ADA - Doctor's Guide, 6/14/05
• Novartis Receives EU Marketing Authorization for Diovan to Treat People With Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 6/13/05
• Fixed-Dose Valsartan Gets Patients to Goal After Other Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Fixed-Dose Failures - Doctor's Guide, 5/25 - "Valsartan was deemed statistically better than either of the two initial drugs"
• Comparison of the effects of ramipril versus telmisartan in reducing serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus - Am J Cardiol. 2005 Jun 1;95(11):1386-8 - "All regimens were associated with a significant reduction of C-reactive protein and oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol serum levels"
• Patients Who Fail Anti-Hypertensive Monotherapy Respond to Fixed-Dose Combination of Irbesartan/Hydrochlorothiazide - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/05
• FDA Approves Atacand (Candesartan Cilexetil) For Use With An Ace Inhibitor In The Treatment Of Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/05
• Telmisartan Superior to Ramipril in Preventing Morning Blood Pressure Rise - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/05 - "Reductions were greater and statistically significant in the highest quartile (34 mmHg), in whom telmisartan reduced systolic surge by 12.4 mmHg and ramipril by 7.1 mmHg"
• Valsartan Reduces Chance of Diabetes in High-Risk Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/05 - "patients taking valsartan had a 23% lower risk of developing diabetes during the four or more years of the study. The two drugs had previously been shown to be roughly equivalent in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke" - See valsartan at OffshoreRX.com.
• Combo Drug Controls Hypertension In Hard-to-treat Patients - Science Daily, 5/18/05 - "the combination pill of irbesartan (an angiotensin II receptor blocker) and a diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide ... the participants' systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped an average of 21.5 points, from 154.4 to 132.9 points. Their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) fell an average of 10.4 points, from 91.3 to 80.9" - Yeah, but what about impotence from the diuretic?
• Bedtime Dosing of Atorvastatin and Valsartan Together Improves Overall Anti-Hypertensive Effects - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/05 - "When valsartan was dosed by itself during the day, patients averaged a 9 mmHg fall in systolic blood pressure; daytime dosing of both valsartan and atorvastatin resulted in a 17 mmHg reduction in the 24-hour mean of systolic and diastolic BP"
• Blood Pressure Linked to Erectile Dysfunction - WebMD, 5/16/05 - "Men on older high blood pressure medications (diuretics, beta-blockers) had higher rates and more severe erectile dysfunction than men on newer medications (calcium antagonists, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers)"
• ACE Inhibitors or ARBs for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials - Medscape, 4/18/05 - "the use of valsartan reduced the incidence of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 23%"
• The Effects of Losartan Compared to Atenolol on Stroke - Medscape, 4/14/05 - "these data suggest that losartan-based treatment reduces CV complications, primarily stroke, when compared to atenolol-based treatment for patients with ISH and high CV risk"
• FDA Approves Hyzaar (Losartan Potassium-Hydrochlorothiazide) Fixed-Dose Combination - Doctor's Guide, 4/14/05
• Evidence-Based Treatment of Hypertension: What's the Role of Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers? - Medscape, 4/8/05 - "The ARBs are highly effective in lowering blood pressure and reducing cardiovascular mortality. They also appear to provide additional renal protection in patients with diabetes, and this effect is independent of their effect on blood pressure. Combinations of ARBs with drugs from other classes such as ACE inhibitors have been found to be highly effective; they may permit lower doses of ACE inhibitors to be used than in monotherapy, which may lower the incidence of dose-related adverse effects. The ARBs themselves are very well tolerated and are not associated with the side-effects known to cause compliance problems with beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers such as impotence, dry cough and peripheral oedema"
• New Data Shows Telmisartan (Micardis/Pritor) Provides Effective and Well-Tolerated Blood Pressure Lowering in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients - Doctor's Guide, 4/4/05
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers: A New Lease of LIFE? - Medscape, 10/26/04
• Losartan and Irbesartan Comparable in Efficacy for Blood Pressure Lowering - Doctor's Guide, 10/8/04
• Study Findings Add Further Weight to Effectiveness of Atacand (Candesartan Cilexetil) in Treating Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 9/3/04
• Both ACE Inhibitors and ARBs Slow Renal Decline in Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 8/31/04 - "the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril and the angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) telmisartan were equally effective in slowing kidney damage in people with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and nephropathy"
• DETAIL Results Show Telmisartan Not Inferior to Enalapril in Renal Protection of Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 8/31/04
• Erythema Multiforme Associated with Candesartan Cilexetil - Medscape, 7/29/04
• Antihypertensive Effect of Valsartan Appears Safely Enhanced By Doubling Conventional Dosage - Doctor's Guide, 7/9/04
• Valsartan Appears More Effective Than Telmisartan in Patients With Essential Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 6/25/04 - "At the end of the study, the 24-hour mean BP was statistically lower in the valsartan-treated group compared to telmisartan-treated group"
• Amlodipine More Effective for Blood Pressure Reduction but Confers Similar Cardiac Outcomes to Valsartan Therapy - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/04
• Significant Reduction in Left Ventricular Mass Index, Reactive Oxygen Species Formation and C-Reactive Protein With Valsartan Treatment - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/04 - "Despite very similar effects on BP, there was a significantly higher reduction in LVMI with valsartan compared with amlodipine ... In the valsartan group, CRP levels were significantly reduced"
• Telmisartan Associated with Greater Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Regression Than Carvedilol - Doctor's Guide, 6/17/04 - "The angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan produces significantly greater left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) regression than does the beta blocker carvedilol in hypertensive patients"
• Newer Drug Helps Prevent Heart Attack - HealthDay, 6/17/04 - "people taking valsartan had much lower rates of admission to hospital for heart failure. And fewer people in the valsartan group (13 percent) developed type 2 diabetes than those in the amlodipine group (16 percent)"
• Telmisartan 40 or 80 mg/Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg Fixed –Dose Combinations Can Thwart Early Morning Blood Pressure Surge - Doctor's Guide, 6/15/04
• Benicar (Olmesartan Medoxomil) and Benicar HCT (Olmesartan Medoxomil/Hydrochlorothiazide) Therapies Achieve Blood Pressure Goals in Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/04 - "at the usual recommended starting doses, approximately twice as many patients treated with Benicar achieved goal blood pressure of less than 140/90 mm Hg compared to Cozaar®(losartan potassium) and Diovan® (valsartan), the two most commonly prescribed angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)"
• Maximum Dose of Valsartan Appears More Effective than Telmisartan in Lowering Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Pulse Pressure Over 24 hours - Doctor's Guide, 5/25/04 - "the blood pressure reduction in the 24-hour mean was significantly larger for valsartan 160 mg (18.6 and 12.1 mm Hg for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively) than for telmisartan 80 mg (10.8 and 8.4 mm Hg"
• Losartan Preserves Cerebral Blood Flow in Hypertensive Patients With a History of Stroke - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/04
• Atacand (Candesartan Cilexetil) Appears More Effective Than Cozaar (Losartan) at Lowering Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 5/10/04 - "Candesartan was shown to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 2 to 3 mm Hg on average more than losartan potassium when measured at the time of either peak or trough effect"
• Valsartan May Produce Lower Ambulatory Heart Rate, Greater Lowering of Daytime Systolic Blood Pressure than Amlodipine in Elderly Patients with Systolic Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/6/04
• Telmisartan Safe, Effective for the Treatment of Isolated Systolic Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/4/04
• Left Ventricular Mass Index Reduced with Low-Dose Valsartan in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 4/15/04
• Telmisartan Lowers Early Morning Blood Pressure in Patients With Hypertension More Effectively Than Does Valsartan - Doctor's Guide, 4/12/04 - "telmisartan reduced BP during the last 6 h of the dosing period more effectively than did valsartan (-11/-7.6 ± 0.8/0.6 mm Hg vs. -8.7/-5.8 ± 0.8/0.6 mm Hg"
• Losartan-Based Treatment Appears More Effective In Reducing Strokes In Hypertensives Than Atenolol-Based Treatment - Doctor's Guide, 4/1/04
• Telmisartan Safe, Effective for Treatment of Hypertension in a Diverse Population - Doctor's Guide, 3/5/04
• Irbesartan More Cost and Survival Effective than Amlodipine in Canadian Patients with Diabetic Neuropathy and Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 3/4/04
• Telmisartan Appears to Offer Additional Benefit to Antihypertensive Regimens - Doctor's Guide, 1/22/04
• ARB, ACE Inhibitor, or Both After MI in High-Risk Patients? - Medscape, 1/9/04
• Telmisartan Reduces Blood Pressure and Left Ventricular Mass Index in Patients with Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 1/7/04 - "Telmisartan was significantly more effective in reducing blood pressure and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) than was hydrochlorothiazide in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension ... Reducing LVM is a primary objective to managing hypertension because of the increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with increases in LVM"
• Reduction in Left Ventricular Mass Due to Irbesartan Correlates With Increased Angiotensin II Levels - Doctor's Guide, 12/9/03
• Persistent Renoprotection After Irbesartan Withdrawal in Hypertensive Type 2 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 11/18/03
• Teveten (Eprosartan Mesylate) Effectively Lowers Systolic Blood Pressure, Pulse Pressure in Isolated Systolic Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/03
• Valsartan Shown as Effective as Captopril for Post-Heart Attack Treatment - Doctor's Guide, 11/10/03
• Two Heart Drugs [ARBs & ACE Inhibitors] Found Equally Effective - HealthDay, 11/10/03 - "Overall survival in both groups and among patients who got combined therapy was better than 80 percent ... The incidence of side effects such as cough, taste disturbance and rash was higher among those given both drugs together, and people getting the combined treatment were more likely to stop taking the medications ... valsartan is "a safe and equally effective alternative" for patients who have problems with ACE inhibitor treatment, Mann writes. People with kidney problems, for instance, are usually kept away from these drugs"
• Irbesartan More Effective Than Amlodipine in Reducing Left Ventricular Mass Index - Doctor's Guide, 11/4/03 - "Several studies have established that LVH is a powerful BP-independent cardiovascular risk factor; however, not all antihypertensive drugs can reverse LVH ... After 3 months, echocardiographically estimated LVMI decreased by 23.2% in the irbesartan-treated patients and 11.4% in the amlodipine-treated patients"
• Losartan Improves Cognitive Function in Elderly Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 10/31/03 - "Patients receiving losartan showed significant improvement in both memory tests, while those receiving atenolol did not shown a difference with treatment. Losartan treatment was associated with a 2.2 point increase in word list memory score and a 2.1 point increase in the word list recall score ... Notably, a greater number of adverse events were reported in patients given atenolol than in those given losartan (31 vs. 8 events)"
• Telmisartan And Lisinopril Appear Equally Effective In Reducing Blood Pressure and Pulse Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 10/10/03 - "For both TPR and SI measurement techniques, no differences were detected between the two drugs in their effects on systolic and diastolic BP"
• Renin-Angiotensin System Blockade Produces Multiple Benefits Independent of Blood Pressure Reduction - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/03 - "According to the authors, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, at least in higher- or moderate-risk individuals, "show advantages that are additional to the reduction in blood pressure that they achieve ... We still await new and forthcoming data as to whether the better-tolerated ARBs have benefits equivalent to those of the ACE inhibitors, for which there are now numerous data ... We also await data on the combination of both these classes of drugs, particularly with respect to safety"
• Candesartan More Effective Than ACE Inhibition Post-Myocardial Infarction - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/03
• Losartan Reduces Hospitalizations in Diabetic Heart-Failure Patients - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/03
• Drugs Blocking the Renin-Angiotensin System Offer Advantages Beyond Lowering Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 9/15/03 - "According to the authors, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, at least in higher- or moderate-risk individuals, "show advantages that are additional to the reduction in blood pressure that they achieve"
• High Doses of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers Required for Maximum Renoprotection - Doctor's Guide, 9/12/03 - "angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) can have significant renoprotective effects, in addition to known antihypertensive benefits ... The optimal dose and strategy for renoprotection using ACEI and ARBs should be guided by titrating to the maximum antiproteinuric effect ... For patients who maintain elevated proteinuria despite high dose monotherapy, they recommend combined use of ACE inhibitors and ARBs"
• Brain Natriuretic Peptide Changes Are Predictive of Valsartan Treatment Success in Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 9/9/03
• CHARM Trials Demonstrate Add-On Benefit of Candesartan for Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 9/3/03
• Effect of losartan on sudden cardiac death in people with diabetes: data from the LIFE study - Lancet. 2003 Aug 23;362(9384):619-20 - "In the losartan group, five (6%) of 86 patients with diabetes and atrial fibrillation during the trial died of sudden cardiac death compared with nine (2%) of 500 in those without atrial fibrillation. The respective figures for the atenolol group were 14 (13%) of 105 and 16 (3%) of 504. Our results suggest losartan affords better protection against cardiac death from arrhythmias for patients with diabetes mellitus than does atenolol"
• Renin-Angiotensin System Blockers Offers Added Benefits Beyond Blood-Pressure Lowering For Hypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 8/28/03 - "Emerging data on newer drugs that block the renin-angiotensin system, such as the angiotension II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, indicate added benefits such as reduced mortality, strokes, and myocardial infarction along with decreased blood pressure"
• Losartan Superior to Atenolol For Reducing Cardiac Death From Arrhythmias In Hypertensive Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 8/21/03
• Losartan More Effective Than Atenolol in Preventing Morbidity and Mortality in Low-Risk Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 8/21/03 - "Losartan appears to be more effective than atenolol in preventing cardiovascular morbidity and death - especially fatal and non-fatal stroke - in patients with hypertension but without clinically evident vascular disease. Furthermore, the effect appears to be independent of blood pressure reduction ... In addition, incident diabetes occurred less often in patients treated with losartan"
• Losartan Causes Greater Regression of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Compared to Atenolol - Doctor's Guide, 8/8/03
• Early Intervention with Atacand (Candesartan) Improves Outcome for Patients with Acute Ischaemic Stroke - Doctor's Guide, 7/28/03
• ACE Inhibitors Prevent Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease by Multiple Mechanisms - Doctor's Guide, 7/25/03 - "ACE inhibitors inhibit the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II ... Angiotensin II increases the production of reactive oxygen species and has several vasoconstrictive effects, including opposition of the vasorelaxant actions of nitric oxide and stimulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 ... Angiotensin II, furthermore, increases arterial stiffness by a variety of mechanisms ... fewer studies have evaluated the effects of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), although these agents may also exert beneficial effects and may act synergistically with ACE inhibitors ... The authors note that, regarding the role of ACE inhibitors in diabetic renal disease, with the exception of ARBs, ACE inhibitors "have been shown to be more effective in reducing proteinuria than any other antihypertensive agents."
• Telmisartan Effective and Well-tolerated for Renal Failure Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/20/03
• FDA Grants Marketing Approval for Benicar HCT (Olmesartan Medoxomil-Hydrochlorothiazide) Treatment For Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 6/9/03
• Fenofibrate, Losartan Show Additive Benefits with Anti-hyperuricaemic Agents in Gout Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/4/03
• Telmisartan Improves Quality of Life Measurements in Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/30/03 - "The angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan appears to enhance the quality of life for patients who are being treated for high blood pressure ... the scores increased from 77 at baseline to an average of 82.2"
• Losartan Treatment Effect is Boosted by DASH Diet - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/03 - "For patients receiving losartan, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly reduced from baseline on the control diet (-6.7 + 1.5/-3.7 + 1.0 mm Hg, P < .05), with an even greater effect evident for the DASH diet (-1.7 + 1.5/-6.9 + 1.0 mm Hg, P < .05) ... A reduction in systolic blood pressure in patients receiving placebo occurred on the DASH diet (-5.3 + 1.5 mm Hg, P < .05). No other significant changes to blood pressure levels were observed" - [Abstract]
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers Effective, Better Tolerated than Calcium Channel Blockers in Elderly Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/03 - "Valsartan and amlodipine are both highly effective in controlling blood pressure in patients with isolated systolic hypertension ... However, valsartan offers a significant tolerability advantage as it shows a reduced risk of developing adverse events"
• Olmesartan Medoxomil Has Equal Efficacy and Safety in Hypertensive Men and Women - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/03
• Hypertensive Patients Respond to Telmisartan Titration in Community-Based Trial - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/03
• Eprosartan Mesylate Shows Benefits in Elderly with Isolated Systolic Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/03
• Valsartan Appears to Improve Sexual Function in Men and Women with Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/03 - "Men and women being treated with the angiotensin II receptor blocker valsartan for mild-to-moderate hypertension appear to show improvements in sexual function and desire"
• Patients Respond to Up-titration of Olmesartan - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/03
• Candesartan Effectively Reduces Blood Pressure in Elderly Hypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 5/12/03 - "Active anti-hypertensive treatment was given to most patients (84%) in the control group ... A first major cardiovascular event occurred in 242 candesartan patients and in 268 controls. The risk reduction with candesartan was 10.9%. Candesartan-based treatment reduced non-fatal stroke by 27.8% and all stroke by 23.6%" - [Abstract]
• Eplerenone Superior To Losartan In Black Patients With Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 4/14/03
• Candesartan Improves Congestive Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 4/11/03
• LIFE Sub-Study Finds Losartan Superior To Atenolol In Atrial Fibrillation - Doctor's Guide, 4/4/03
• Basal Nitric Oxide Production, Release Improved By AT(1) Receptor Blockade With Valsartan - Doctor's Guide, 2/19/03
• Which Blood Pressure Drug Is Best? - HealthDay, 2/12/03
• Amlodipine Appears To Provide Greater Reduction In Blood Pressure Than Does Losartan - Doctor's Guide, 2/6/03 - "Diastolic blood pressure equal to or below 90 mm Hg was achieved by 43.6% of the amlodipine patients and 42.3% of the losartan patients. Seventy-one percent of the amlodipine and 81% of the losartan patients who continued treatment with the original dose reached blood pressure goals ... However, among those patients who required dosage adjustments, a significantly higher number of amlodipine patients reached blood pressure goals. Fifty-nine percent of the amlodipine patients compared with 42%"
• BP Drug Cozaar Also Prevents Stroke - WebMD, 1/7/03 - "Cozaar reduced the risk of stroke by about 25% compared with atenolol"
• FDA Advisors Recommend Losartan for Stroke Prevention - Medscape, 1/7/03
• Averting Migraines With Few Side Effects - WebMD, 12/31/02
• Valsartan Improves Augmentation Index In Essential Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 12/23/02
• BP Lowering May