Endocrine Abstracts

Rationale and objectives: Validation of new therapeutic regimens in the treatment of hypertension, particularly in poorly controlled patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease, is urgently needed. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of two doses of the candesartan cilexetil/hydrochlorothiazide combination (Blopress Plus^®) in hypertensive patients in Jordan.

Methods: An observational, multicenter, prospective, open-label study of Jordanian adult (18 years or older, n=390) hypertensive patients attending outpatient clinics was conducted over eight weeks. Patients were stratified according to their cardiovascular disease risk into low/moderate- and high/very high-risk groups. Two doses of Blopress Plus^® (16/12.5 or 8/12.5 mg) were started at baseline, and blood pressure readings and adverse events were subsequently analyzed at the 4- and 8-week time points.

Results: Mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced 4 and 8 weeks after treatment with Blopress Plus^®. Overall, 85.6% and 94.6% of the patients achieved target blood pressure at the 4- and 8-week time points, respectively. Proportion of patients achieving target blood pressure was not significantly different between the two cardiovascular disease risk groups. 1.3% of patients reported non-serious adverse events, of which only dizziness was perceived as related to the study drug.

Conclusion: Blopress Plus^® is an effective and safe antihypertensive drug therapy, with a considerably high success rate in achieving target blood pressure in patients with high/very high cardiovascular risk.