Comparison of telmisartan vs. valsartan in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

A prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded end-point trial compared telmisartan and valsartan for treating mild to moderate hypertension. Efficacy for 24-hour control of blood pressure was assessed using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Mean changes in diastolic blood pressure for the last 6 hours before dosing and the nighttime period were significantly greater with telmisartan than with valsartan (p<0.01 for the last 6 hours before dosing; p<0.05 for the nighttime period). Mean changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressures for the 24-hour interval, the morning, and the daytime periods were significantly greater with telmisartan than with valsartan (p<0.01). The incidence of all adverse events and the most common adverse events were comparable for patients receiving telmisartan and patients receiving valsartan. Neither treatment was associated with cough. These data suggest greater efficacy for telmisartan than valsartan in controlling blood pressure throughout the 24-hour dosing interval, including the last 6 hours before dosing, and the two agents were similarly well tolerated. Copyright 2002 Le Jacq Communications, Inc.