1. Telmisartan: just an antihypertensive agent? A literature review.
- Author
-
Destro M, Cagnoni F, Dognini GP, Galimberti V, Taietti C, Cavalleri C, and Galli E
- Subjects
- Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers economics, Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers pharmacology, Animals, Antihypertensive Agents economics, Antihypertensive Agents pharmacology, Atrial Fibrillation prevention & control, Benzimidazoles economics, Benzimidazoles pharmacology, Benzoates economics, Benzoates pharmacology, Costs and Cost Analysis, Humans, Hypertension economics, Hypertension metabolism, Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular prevention & control, Kidney Diseases prevention & control, Renin-Angiotensin System, Telmisartan, Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers therapeutic use, Antihypertensive Agents therapeutic use, Benzimidazoles therapeutic use, Benzoates therapeutic use, Hypertension drug therapy
- Abstract
Introduction: The modulation of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) is an important pathway in managing high blood pressure, and its overexpression plays a key role in target end-organ damage. Telmisartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) with unique pharmacologic properties, including the longest half-life among all ARBs; this leads to a significant and 24-h sustained reduction of blood pressure. Telmisartan has well-known antihypertensive properties, but there is also strong clinical evidence that it reduces left ventricular hypertrophy, arterial stiffness and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation, and confers renoprotection., Areas Covered: This paper reviews telmisartan's pharmacological properties in terms of efficacy for hypertension control and, importantly, focuses on its new therapeutic indications and their clinical implications., Expert Opinion: ONTARGET (ongoing telmisartan alone and in combination with ramipril global endpoint trial) demonstrated, that telmisartan confers cardiovascular protective effects similar to those of ramipril, but with a better tolerability. Moreover, recent investigations focused on the capability of telmisartan to modulate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ), an established target in the treatment of insulin resistance, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, whose activation is also correlated to anti-inflammatory and, finally, anti-atherosclerotic properties. Telmisartan shows peculiar features that go beyond blood pressure control. It presents promising and unique protective properties against target end-organ damage, potentially able to open a scenario of new therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular disease.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF