Blood Pressure Drug Reduces Inflammation Marker

The Val-MARC (Valsartan-Managing blood pressure Aggressively and evaluating Reductions in high-sensitivity CRP) study investigated whether Diovan (valsartan) or Diovan HCT (valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide), manufactured by Novartis (Basel, Switzerland), can lower the level of the inflammatory marker high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in addition to effectively treating stage 2 hypertension. The study examined 1,668 patients with stage 2 hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure between 160-185 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure of 100-109 mm Hg), and was conducted in 384 primary care clinics across the United States.

The study found that Diovan lowered the level of hsCRP, independently of its established efficacy in lowering blood pressure. 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, a difference between the treatment groups of 13.3%. The study also showed that Diovan and Diovan HCT helped a significant number of stage II hard-to-treat patients achieve double-digit blood pressure reductions of up to 27 mm Hg in systolic and 14 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure. The results were published in the May 19, 2006, online issue of Hypertension.

"Increased hsCRP levels are commonly found in those patients at increased
risk for cardiovascular events,” said lead author Paul Ridker, M.D., M.P.H., of Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA, USA), and lead investigator of the Val-MARC trial. "Until now, statins were among only a few medicines known to lower hsCRP. This study showed that treating high blood pressure with valsartan can also reduce levels of this important inflammatory marker.

High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a measurement of inflammation, and numerous large studies have shown that high hsCRP levels increase the risk of having a future heart attack or stroke.



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