Inpharma 1227 - 4 Mar 2000

■ Candesartan cilexetil improves endothelialfunction in patients with essential hypertension, reportresearchers from Italy. In this open-label study, 15such patients received candesartan cilexetil 8–16mg/day for 12 months.* After both 2 and 12 months’candesartan cilexetil therapy, compared with baseline,patients had significant reductions in plasmaendothelin (ET)-1 levels and significantly enhancedvasoconstriction to targinine [L-NMMA].**

Furthermore, 2 months’ candesartan cilexetil therapysignificantly reduced vasodilation to TAK-044 frombaseline; the response to TAK-044 was almostabolished after 1 year’s therapy. The researchers saythat ‘candesartan increases tonic NO [nitric oxide]release and reduces the vasoconstricting effect ofendogenous ET-1’ and add that this effect ‘could berelevant to the vascular protection of patients withessential hypertension’.* All patients had shown a good response (defined as a decrease inBP of > 10%) to a single dose of candesartan cilexetil beforeinclusion in the study.** Endothelial function was assessed by measuring changes inforearm blood flow.

Ghiadoni L, et al. Effect of the angiotensin II type I receptor blockercandesartan on endothelial function in patients with essential hypertension.Hypertension 35 (Suppl.): 501-506, Part 2, Jan 2000 800812818

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Inpharma 4 Mar 2000 No. 12271173-8324/10/1227-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved