A randomized trial of the efficacy and safety of azilsartan medoxomil combined with chlorthalidone

[Changing Concepts About Optimal Target Blood Pressure and the Therapeutic Advantages of Azilsartan for Achieving it]

The article discusses current issues of the treatment of arterial hypertension. According to presented data, so-called therapeutic nihilism is becoming one of the main barriers to achieving target blood pressure (BP). This nihilism is that despite evidence of the effectiveness of achieving lower BP values, practitioners do not intensify antihypertensive therapy sufficiently to achieve such values. The article specially addresses new criteria for the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy, which reflect the therapy sustainability. The most commonly used indicator is the duration of the period, during which systolic BP remains in the therapeutic range. The prognostic significance of such indicators is discussed. In these conditions, it is very important to use the most effective antihypertensive drugs for initial antihypertensive therapy, including as a part of combination therapy. This tactic provides more frequent achievement of BP goals without the need for dose adjustment. In this regard, a systematic review was performed, which included sufficiently large randomized studies of the antihypertensive effectiveness of azilsartan medoxomil. This systematic review will provide comprehensive information on a possible role of using the angiotensin II receptor blocker azilsartan as a basic drug for the treatment of a wide range of patients with high BP. Most of the studies included in the systematic review assessed the effectiveness of combination therapy including azilsartan.

Combinatorial approaches for novel cardiovascular drug discovery: a review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

In this article, authors report an inclusive discussion about the combinatorial approach for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and for counteracting the cardiovascular risk factors. The mentioned strategy was demonstrated to be useful for improving the efficacy of pharmacological treatments and in CVDs showed superior efficacy with respect to the classical monotherapeutic approach.

AREAS COVERED

According to this topic, authors analyzed the combinatorial treatments that are available on the market, highlighting clinical studies that demonstrated the efficacy of combinatorial drug strategies to cure CVDs and related risk factors. Furthermore, the review gives an outlook on the future perspective of this therapeutic option, highlighting novel drug targets and disease models that could help the future cardiovascular drug discovery.

EXPERT OPINION

The use of specifically designed and increasingly rational and effective drug combination therapies can therefore be considered the evolution of polypharmacy in cardiometabolic and CVDs. This approach can allow to intervene on multiple etiopathogenetic mechanisms of the disease or to act simultaneously on different pathologies/risk factors, using the combinations most suitable from a pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological perspective, thus finding the most appropriate therapeutic option.

Evaluating the Safety and Tolerability of Azilsartan Medoxomil Alone or in Combination With Chlorthalidone in the Management of Hypertension: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Azilsartan medoxomil (AZM) is the newest representative in the class of angiotensin receptor blockers. Azilsartan medoxomil in combination with the older diuretic chlorthalidone (CLD) in fixed-doses of AZM/CLD 40/12.5 mg and 40/25 mg has been approved by the FDA for use in patients with essential hypertension. We sought to evaluate the safety and tolerability of AZL-M alone and in combination with CLD.

METHODS

We conducted a search in PubMed using the keywords 'azilsartan', 'azilsartan medoxomil', 'chlorthalidone, 'safety', 'tolerability' in order to find scientific studies evaluating the safety of these drugs. We included studies reporting side effects of these drugs, alone or in combination, in comparison to placebo or other antihypertensive medications. For our systematic review, we followed the PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Azilsartan medoxomil is a potent antihypertensive medicine with an acceptable safety profile. The most commonly reported adverse events are dizziness, headache, fatigue, upper respiratory tract infection and urinary tract infection. Chlorthalidone is more potent and has a considerably longer duration of action than the most commonly prescribed diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. Safety and tolerability between these two drugs are similar except higher serum uric acid and lower potassium levels with chlorthalidone.

CONCLUSION

The combination of azilsartan medoxomil with chlorthalidone has been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure with an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. This fixeddose combination is an attractive treatment option for hypertension management.