A review of the efficacy of fixed-dose combinations olmesartan medoxomil/hydrochlorothiazide and amlodipine besylate/benazepril in factorial design studies.

In order to adequately control hypertension, the majority of patients will require treatment with more than one antihypertensive agent. Fixed-dose combination therapy offers several advantages, including improved efficacy, tolerability, and treatment compliance. Certain combinations have benefits in specific patient populations, such as the elderly or those with comorbidities. In this review, we evaluate the BP-lowering efficacy of olmesartan medoxomil/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and amlodipine besylate/benazepril in similarly designed, randomized, placebo-controlled studies in similar patient populations. This indirect comparison showed that both combinations significantly improve both systolic and diastolic BP compared with monotherapy with the individual agents or placebo; it also demonstrated that the combinations were well tolerated. Both combination therapies significantly improved response rates, but olmesartan medoxomil/HCTZ achieved the highest control rates compared with the individual agents. On the basis of an indirect comparison of published factorial design studies, olmesartan medoxomil/HCTZ appears to be at least as effective as amlodipine besylate/benazepril and may provide quantitatively greater reductions in diastolic BP at commonly used dosages. A randomized clinical trial comparing the two combinations is needed to confirm these findings.