Blood pressure quad pill earns closer look: MJA InSight
GPs may be interested in an article in this week’s issue of MJA InSight that describes how a novel approach to managing hypertension, by initiating therapy with four well-established blood pressure lowering agents at ultra-low dose, has shown promise in an Australian trial.
According to the MJA InSight article, results from the Sydney-based study found that patient’s ambulatory blood pressure levels fell by roughly 19/14mmHg during treatment with a single pill containing quarter-standard doses of irbesartan, amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide and atenolol. Monotherapy, by contrast, only reduces blood pressure levels by around 9/5mmHg, on average.
Authors of the study, published in The Lancet, wrote that the quadpill approach could address treatment inertia because it reduces the reliance on stepped-up titration, which is rarely completed in practice. They also said there is likely to be improved adherence as a result of both decreased pill burden and use of lower doses to minimise side effects.
Read the full article in MJA InSight.
