Candesartan plus hydrochlorothiazide: an overview of its use and efficacy

Introduction: The 2007 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension guidelines suggests that among the therapeutic possibilities, the use of angiotensin receptor blockers as an important component of antihypertensive combination therapy. Thiazide-type diuretics are usually added in order to increase the therapeutic efficacy in lowering blood pressure (BP). Many authors have demonstrated how effective is a fixed-dose combination of candesartan cilexetil/hydrochlorothiazide in lowering BP, even when compared with other antihypertensive drugs belonging to the same therapeutic category. Moreover, this combination showed good compliance and tolerability and few adverse reactions. Areas covered: The authors analyze the importance of the combination therapy of candesartan cilexetil plus hydrochlorothiazide in the treatment of hypertension. Many authors explain how effective BP control is often achieved only with the combination of drugs with different mechanisms of action, in particular in high risk patients or in those affected with diabetes mellitus or chronic,enal disease; in fact, these patients need a more intensive BP control. Expert opinion: The fixed-dose combination drug candesartan/hydrochlorothiazide turned out to be a significant alternative in the treatment of hypertension, both for its high efficacy in BP reduction and in prevention of target organ damage, both for its tolerability and patient compliance.