MDs marvel at blood pressure drug combo

From the Toronto Star:
An international drug trial that could change the way high blood pressure is controlled has shown a combination of two common hypertension medications can bring the often-lethal condition under control, even in the most dangerous cases.

In the trial, which was stopped early because the results were so positive, researchers found patients who took a so-called ACE-inhibitor and CCB combination pill suffered 20 per cent fewer major cardiac events, including death from heart attack and stroke.

The drug combination also effectively controlled blood pressure levels for 80 per cent of patients with the most serious hypertensions.

The interim results, which doctors say should "shake the foundations" of current treatment, were presented yesterday at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago.

Study leader Dr. Kenneth Jamerson, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, said an independent monitoring board recommended ending the trial after only 60 per cent of the data had been collected because the results were so conclusive and could potentially benefit millions of patients. ...more