Efficacy of amlodipine/olmesartan medoxomil ± hydrochlorothiazide in patients aged ≥ 65 or, <65 years with uncontrolled hypertension on prior Monotherapy

Our subanalysis evaluated the efficacy of an amlodipine/olmesartan medoxomil (AML/OM)-based titration regimen to achieve blood pressure (BP) goals among patients aged ≥ 65 years. In this dose-titration study, 999 patients (228 of whom were aged ≥ 65 years) with uncontrolled BP after ≥ 1 month of monotherapy were switched to fixed-dose AML/OM 5/20 mg and uptitrated every 4 weeks to AML/OM 5/40 and 10/40 mg to achieve BP < 120/70 mm Hg. Patients were subsequently uptitrated every 4 weeks to AML/OM 10/40 mg + hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 12.5 mg and AML/OM 10/40 mg + HCTZ 25 mg to achieve BP < 125/75 mm Hg. The primary efficacy endpoint (ie, the cumulative percentage of patients achieving the seated cuff systolic BP goal of < 140 mm Hg [or < 130 mm Hg for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus] during first 12 weeks of treatment) was achieved by 76.7% and 75.6% of patients aged > 65 (ie, 65-80) years and < 65 (ie, 18-64) years, respectively. For patients aged ≥ 65 and < 65 years, mean seated cuff BP changes from baseline during the titration periods ranged from -14.5/-7.8 mm Hg and -14.1/-7.7 mm Hg, respectively, for AML/OM 5/20 mg, to -28.5/-12.4 and -24.5/-14.0 mm Hg for AML/ OM 10/40 mg + HCTZ 25 mg (all P < 0.0001). By week 20, the cumulative BP threshold of < 140/90 mm Hg was achieved by 86.8% and 84.2% of patients aged ≥ 65 and < 65 years, respectively. Among patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent ambulatory BP monitoring, mean 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime ambulatory BP all decreased from baseline at weeks 12 and 20 (all P < 0.0001). At weeks 12 and 20, the mean 24-hour American Heart Association-recommended ambulatory BP target of < 130/80 mm Hg was achieved in 80.4% and 97.4% of patients aged ≥ 65 years, respectively, and in 71.3% and 88.8% of patients aged < 65 years, respectively. The majority of adverse events were mild to moderate in intensity and the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events determined by clinical laboratory evaluation was low. The incidence of drug-related hypotension and orthostatic hypotension in patients aged ≥ 65 years was 2.2% and 0.0%, respectively, and in patients aged < 65 years, was 2.3% and 0.3%, respectively. Fixed-dose AML/OM ± HCTZ combination therapy effectively lowered BP and achieved BP goals in patients aged ≥ 65 and < 65 years with hypertension previously uncontrolled on monotherapy. The treatment regimen was well tolerated irrespective of patient age. © Postgraduate Medicine.