Benicar effective in reversing artery narrowing

A study published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Society of Hypertension demonstrates that Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo's Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) was effective in reversing the narrowing of the arteries that occurs in patients with hypertension. The VIOS study, a one-year, exploratory trial evaluating the effects of an angiotensin receptor blocker Benicar versus the beta-blocker atenolol on vascular function and structure in patients with Stage 1 hypertension, independent of the blood pressure lowering effects of these agents.

In the VIOS trial, olmesartan medoxomil, through early blockade of angiotensin II, improved the structure abnormalities of resistance arteries in patients with hypertension as measured by arterial wall to lumen ratio, returning arterial architecture to normal levels after one year of treatment. This protective effect was not seen with the comparator agent in the study, atenolol, noted the firm.

ARB has been linked to vascular dysfunction and end-organ damage, including cardiac hypertrophy and renal injury. Previous studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors inhibitors or other ARBs in the reversal of vascular hypertrophy in hypertensive subjects, Daiichi stressed.