To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Aliskiren/Valsartan Combo Reduces Blood Pressure Better Than Either Agent Alone Regardless of Metabolic Status: Presented at EASD URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/22B6CE.htm Doctor's Guide September 8, 2008
By Jill Stein ROME -- September 8, 2008 -- A combination of the direct-renin-inhibitor aliskiren and the angiotensin-receptor blocker valsartan reduces blood pressure more effectively than either drug alone in hypertensive patients irrespective of their metabolic status, researchers reported here at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2008. Steven A. Yarows, MD, Chelsea Internal Medicine/IHA, Chelsea, Michigan, will present the study in a poster session on September 9. In their placebo-controlled study, Dr. Yarows and colleagues conducted a post-hoc analysis of a double-blind study to compare the antihypertensive efficacy of the aliskiren/valsartan combination against each drug as monotherapies in patients with or without the metabolic syndrome. The researchers randomised 1,797 hypertensive patients to once-daily treatment with aliskiren/valsartan 150/160 mg, aliskiren 150 mg alone, valsartan 160 mg alone, or placebo for 4 weeks followed by forced titration to double the initial doses for 4 weeks. "Hypertension is one of the key factors for metabolic syndrome, contributing to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality," Dr. Yarows noted. "More than one-third of hypertensive patients have metabolic syndrome." Chronic activation of the renin system has been implicated in the development of many of the key factors of metabolic syndrome, including high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and abdominal obesity, he added. Results showed that blood-pressure reductions were similar with or without metabolic syndrome for any treatment group. Blood pressure reductions in the aliskiren/valsartan combination group were significantly greater than the component monotherapies or placebo, irrespective of metabolic status. Responder rates for aliskiren/valsartan combination were 68.6% and 62.9%, respectively, in patients with and without metabolic syndrome. Blood pressure control rates for the aliskiren/valsartan combination were 49.5% and 49.1% in patients with and without metabolic syndrome, respectively, and were significantly greater than for each of the monotherapies. All treatments were well tolerated and most adverse events were mild in severity. The incidence of adverse events did not increase with the combination of aliskiren and valsartan compared with monotherapies, regardless of the metabolic status. Overall, the results indicate that the combination of aliskiren with valsartan is a highly effective and generally well-tolerated treatment option for patients with hypertension, regardless of metabolic status, the researchers concluded. Funding for the study was provided by Novartis. [Presentation title: Aliskiren in Combination With Valsartan Lowers Blood Pressure More Effectively Than Either Agent Alone in Patients With Hypertension, Regardless of Metabolic Status: A Post-Hoc Analysis of an 8-Week Double-Blind Study. Abstract 1221] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.