Angiotensin receptor blocker and calcium channel blocker combination prevents cardiovascular events in CKD better than high-dose ARB alone

To the Editor: We read with great interest the article by Kim-Mitsuyama and the commentary by Briasoulis and Bakris in the recent issue of Kidney International.1, 2 Both the authors and the commentators have attributed the more optimal blood pressure (BP) control in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on combination therapy with angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) and calcium channel blocker (CCB) as the main factor contributing to the prevention of cardiovascular events compared with those on high-dose ARB. In patients without CKD, the incidence of primary events was the same in both groups, suggesting that decreased eGFR was the independent risk factor for cardiovascular events.