Interní Med. 2017; 19(2): 58-65 | DOI: 10.36290/int.2017.011

Combination therapy for hypertension with a focus on fixed combinations

prof. MUDr. Miroslav Souček, CSc.^{1, 2}, MUDr. Hana Nechutová, Ph.D.¹, MUDr. Jan Novák¹, MUDr. Ivan Řiháček, Ph.D.¹

1II. interní klinika FN u sv. Anny v Brně a LF MU, 2Mezinárodní centrum klinického výzkumu FN u sv. Anny v Brně

Patients with hypertension have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Efforts are made to reduce the risk by achieving

target blood pressure levels, however with only limited success. Combination therapy is considered to be the best strategy

in the setting of inadequate arterial hypertension control. The main goal is to achieve addition/synergy of the therapeutic effect

of two or more medications with different mechanisms of action while using lower doses of the individual components. In recent

years, no new class of drugs has become available in hypertension treatment and, with monotherapy, target levels can be

achieved in only 30% of the population. The main reason for failure to normalize blood pressure levels is the under-utilization of

combination therapy, particularly of fixed combinations, followed by poor patient compliance. Dual and triple combinations of

antihypertensive drugs are beneficial in terms of a higher drop in blood pressure as well as in maintaining metabolic neutrality,

reducing the rate of side effects, and improving patient compliance.

Keywords: antihypertensive drugs, dual combination, triple combination, compliance, metabolic neutrality

Published: April 1, 2017  Show citation