Take One Less Pill

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By Gina Roberts-Grey

A combination pill may be a better way to start treatment of hypertension and may help reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.

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For years, experts have been treating hypertensive patients by starting them on a diuretic to control blood pressure. If that doesn’t work, other drugs, such as an angiotensin-converting enzyme, commonly called an ACE inhibitor, are added.

However, the Accomplish study—financed by Novartis, one of the makers of the combo pill—showed that a different approach may work better for lowering blood pressure, while providing more protection against heart attack and stroke down the line.
           
The study involved 10,700 participants.

• Half took a pill called Lotrel, a combination of benazepril (an ACE inhibitor) and amlodipine besylate (a calcium channel blocker).
• Half took a pill that combined benazepril and a diuretic.

Patients taking Lotrel had 21 percent fewer heart events such as heart attacks and strokes than the other group. And, over 36 months, that combo pill was more effective at getting blood pressure down and keeping it down.