Telmisartan Better at Controlling Blood Pressure

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) readings over 24 hours were used to measure fluctuations in blood pressure reductions and to calculate smoothness index (SI) scores for telmisartan and other commonly used antihypertensives, including valsartan, losartan, ramipril, and amlodipine. The smoothness index, a potential indicator for the prevention of organ damage, is defined as the average of the 24 hourly blood pressure changes induced by treatment, divided by the corresponding standard deviation. A high SI score represents a blood pressure reduction that is meaningful and smooth.

The results of the ABPM and SI measurements showed that telmisartan, developed by Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany), provides more effective blood pressure control over 24 hours compared to other leading angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and ramipril, and is comparable to amlodipine. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH), held in June 2006 in Madrid (Spain).

Uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to organ damage which includes the heart, vascular system, kidneys, and brain. Damage to these organs can cause long-term cardiovascular problems such as heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and even death,” said lead investigator Professor Gianfranco Parati. "More than half of the patients who appear to have well controlled blood pressure when checked in the doctor's office do not have it controlled over 24 hours. This is why the SI was developed to provide physicians with a more precise and clinically relevant alternative to single office blood pressure readings.”



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University of Milano-Bicocca
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