Date - 27 September 2004

Source- Drugs in Context 2004; 1B(8): Olmesartan - Hypertension and cardiovascular disease p309

Author - Dr Richard Clark

A wide range of angiotensin II antagonists are available for the treatment of hypertension. Olmesartan medoxomil (hereafter referred to as olmesartan) is the seventh member of this class to be licensed in the UK. It has been tested extensively in clinical trials, some of which have compared it with other antihypertensives, including other angiotensin II antagonists. These studies have shown olmesartan to be more effective in reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared with losartan, valsartan or irbesartan. Other direct clinical comparisons have also reported that olmesartan is associated with superior control of hypertension when compared with the calcium-channel blocker, amlodipine, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, captopril. Olmesartan was also reported to be at least as effective the ß-blocker, atenolol. Importantly, olmesartan provides consistent 24-hour control of blood pressure with a convenient once-daily dosing schedule. Olmesartan is generally well tolerated with a similar safety and tolerability profile to the other angiotensin II antagonists.

Keywords: Olmesartan, Hypertension and cardiovascular disease