Safe and effective management of hypertension with fixed-dose combination therapy: focus on losartan plus hydrochlorothiazide.

Treatment of hypertensive patients with fixed-dose combination therapy consisting of losartan and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) has several potential benefits over monotherapy with each of the individual components: more effective blood pressure control, a reduction in the likelihood of adverse effects, and facilitation of patients staying on therapy due to a simple once-daily regimen. Losartan plus HCTZ fixed-dose combination therapy lowers blood pressure in mild to moderate or severe hypertensive patients to a level comparable with other classes of antihypertensive drugs in combination with HCTZ. Fixed-dose combination therapy with losartan plus HCTZ is therefore an excellent choice for hypertensive patients in whom combination therapy is necessary to achieve additional blood pressure reductions.