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More Than Half of Hypertensive Patients Remain Uncontrolled and at Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke - Telmisartan May Decrease This Risk

Milan, Italy (ots/PRNewswire)

  • For non-US Healthcare Media
  • Results From Two Large, Multinational, Practice-Based Observational Studies in Blood Pressure
New data announced today at the Annual European Society of
Hypertension (ESH) show that measuring blood pressure in a doctor's
office alone does not provide an accurate picture of a patient's
blood pressure control. Treatments utilised only on this basis are
likely to leave many people at increased risk of heart attack, stroke
or even cardiovascular death. According to a further study also
presented today, this "unnecessary" additional risk could be avoided
by choosing a treatment regimen like once daily telmisartan, which
provides smooth blood pressure control over a full 24 hour period,
including the risky morning hours.
Results from the SURGE hypertension study, an observational study
of blood pressure control outside of a clinical setting, demonstrate
that:(1,2)
- More than 60% of patients do not have controlled
    (<135/85mmHg, ESH/ESC) blood pressure in the morning when measured by
    home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM).
    - Again, more than 60% of patients are not able to achieve control
    of blood pressure peaks over a 24-hour period, when measured by
    ambulatory blood pressure (ABPM), which monitors control over the full
    24-hour period.
Professor Gianfranco Parati, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy,
Chair of the SURGE Steering Committee commented, "The SURGE study is
noteworthy because it illustrates that in a real-life setting,
despite receiving treatment, a large proportion of patients still
have poorly controlled hypertension, particularly in their morning
hours. It also highlights the challenges physicians face in getting
an accurate picture of blood pressure as HBPM and, even more so, ABPM
can not be implemented routinely in every patient in daily practice.
What we really need are reliable therapies that provide consistent
control over a full 24 hour period."
SURGE-2, an 8-week, open-label prospective, practice-based study,
assessed the effects of the angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)
telmisartan in >26,000 patients with hypertension (office blood
pressure >140/90mmHg). Blood pressure control was measured using
either HBPM (n=25,882) or ABPM (n= 863).
The results(3,4) from this observational study, the largest
practise-based study ever conducted in hypertension using this
methodology, demonstrate that telmisartan provides powerful blood
pressure control over a full 24-hour period, including the risky
early morning hours(3,4):
- The mean morning ABP was significantly reduced by telmisartan
    alone and in combination with HCTZ by -8.2/-4.9 mmHg (p<0.001), almost
    doubling the number of patients with controlled blood pressure from
    36.5% to 64.4% (<135/85mmHg, ESH/ESC) after 8 weeks of treatment.
    - The 24-hour ABP was reduced by telmisartan alone and in
    combination with HCTZ by -7.85/-4.7 mmHg (p<0.001).
Professor Parati comments, "The results from SURGE-2 are
particularly encouraging. They demonstrate that, unlike many other
antihypertensive treatments, in telmisartan we have a treatment
option that does provide smooth blood pressure control from morning
to morning. This is expected to lead to prevention of heart attacks,
strokes and even cardiovascular death."
The SURGE studies (SURGE and SURGE-2) are part of an extensive
ongoing clinical trial programme, with observational as well as
clinical studies investigating the outstanding effects of telmisartan
compared with other treatments for hypertension, including other
available ARBs. These trials investigate the effects of telmisartan
in providing powerful blood pressure reduction from morning to
morning, potential organ-protective effects and cardiometabolic
protective properties.
Telmisartan has a longer duration of action than all other members
of the ARB class; it takes approximately 24 hours for half the dose
of telmisartan to be eliminated from the body compared to five to 15
hours for other ARBs(5,6). Clinical trials have already shown that
telmisartan provides powerful and consistent blood pressure reduction
over a full 24  hour period(5-8).
The results of the SURGE studies in a real life setting further
support the hypothesis that, due to its unique pharmacological
profile, telmisartan could provide a solution for the ongoing problem
of risky blood pressure surges in the morning. Ultimately,
telmisartan may give doctors an effective option to protect their
hypertensive patients from cardio- and cerebrovascular events 24
hours a day.
Notes to Editors
About organ damage
Complications occurring as a result of uncontrolled hypertension
can lead to organ damage.
    BRAIN    Prolonged uncontrolled hypertension puts the individual at
             greater risk of encountering a stroke.
    HEART    Hypertension increases the workload of the heart. Prolonged
             increase of the workload will eventually result in the
             enlargement of the heart and increases the risk of heart
             failure and heart attack.
    KIDNEYS  Prolonged hypertension may eventually result in kidney
             failure, which in the end-stage may necessitate dialysis
             treatment.
    EYES     Hypertension can damage the blood vessels in the retina and
             may result in visual impairment and/or loss of vision.
SURGE studies
SURGE - Survey with HBPM and ABPM Under Real clinical conditions
in General practice to Evaluate blood pressure control in the early
morning.
An observational study to assess early morning blood pressure
control in  hypertensive patients
SURGE-2 - Study of a hypertensive population Under treatment with
telmisartan in Real clinical conditions with the Goal of controlling
Early  morning blood pressure rise. A surveillance study of the
efficacy of  telmisartan (MICARDIS(R)) treatment in reducing early
morning blood pressure  under real clinical conditions.
About telmisartan (Micardis(R)/Kinzal(R)/Pritor(R))
Telmisartan is a member of the angiotensin II receptor blocker
(ARB) class and is being investigated in the most ambitious and
far-reaching research programme ever conducted with an ARB. In the
ongoing clinical trial programmes ONTARGET, PROTECTION and PRoFESS,
over 58,000 patients have been enrolled to investigate the
cardiovascular protective effects of telmisartan.
Telmisartan was discovered and developed by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Under  the trademarks MICARDIS(R) and MICARDISPLUS(R) (combination
with HCTZ) the company markets telmisartan in 84 countries around the
world, including the USA, Japan and European countries. Telmisartan
is marketed in cooperation with Astellas Pharma Inc. in Japan, Bayer
HealthCare in Europe and GlaxoSmithKline in selected markets. Bayer
HealthCare promotes telmisartan under the brand names Kinzalmono(R),
Kinzalkomb(R) (combination with HCTZ), and Pritor(R) and
PritorPlus(R) in markets across Europe. Pritor(R) and PritorPlus(R)
is also marketed by GlaxoSmithKline in selected markets.
Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading
pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it
operates globally with 137 affiliates in 47 countries and 38,400
employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has
been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and
marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and
veterinary medicine.
In 2006, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 10.6 billion
euro while spending one fifth of net sales in its largest business
segment Prescription Medicines on research and development.
For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com
Please be advised
This release is from the Corporate Headquarters of Boehringer
Ingelheim and is intended for all international markets. This being
the case, please be aware that there may be some differences between
countries regarding specific medical information including licensed
uses. Please take account of this when referring to the material.
References
1. Parati G et al. Morning and smooth 24 hour ambulatory blood
pressure control is not achieved in high risk patients with
hypertension: results from the SURGE observational study. Presented
at the Annual Meeting of the European Society of Hypertension. June
2007, Milan, Italy.
2. Redon J et al. Home blood pressure control is low during the
critical morning hours in patients with hypertension and even worse
in high-risk patients with diabetes and left ventricular hypertrophy:
results from the SURGE observational study. Presented at the Annual
Meeting of the European Society of Hypertension. June 2007, Milan,
Italy.
3. Parati G et al. Telmisartan improves and maintains smooth
ambulatory blood pressure control over 24 hours in the morning:
Results from a practice based study (SURGE-2). Presented at the
Annual Meeting of the European Society of Hypertension. June 2007,
Milan, Italy.
4. Redon J et al. Telmisartan procudes smooth home blood pressure
reduction, even during the critical early morning hours: results from
a post-marketing study (SURGE-2). Presented at the Annual Meeting of
the European Society of Hypertension. June 2007, Milan, Italy.
5. Burnier M, Brunner HR. Lancet 2000;355:637-45.
6. Brunner HR. J Hum Hypertens 2002;16(suppl 2):S13-S16.
7. Neutel JM, Smith HG. J Clin Hypertens 2003;5(1):58-63.
8. Millar-Craig MW et al. Lancet 1978;1:795-97.

Contact:

Contact: Ute Schmidt, Corporate Division Communications, Boehringer
Ingelheim GmbH, 55216 Ingelheim/Germany, Phone: +49-6132-77-97296,
Fax: +49-6132-72-6601, E-mail: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com

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