Effect of switching from telmisartan, valsartan, olmesartan, or losartan to candesartan on morning hypertension.

The Candesartan Cooperative Research of Therapy Design for Early Morning Hypertension in CHIBA was designed to investigate whether switching from angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) except candesartan to candesartan might be effective in Japanese patients with morning hypertension. Seventy-eight mild to moderate hypertensive patients, who were treated with the standard doses of ARBs except candesartan (losartan, 50 mg; valsartan, 80 mg; telmisartan, 40 mg; or olmesartan, 20 mg), were entered into 12-week treatment period with candesartan 8 mg according to a multicenter, open-label design. Morning and office blood pressures (BPs) were significantly reduced (morning, -10.1 ± 10.5/-4.5 ± 8.4 mm Hg; office, -13.1 ± 17.3/-6.2 ± 11.3 mm Hg) after medication change. Target BPs (morning BPs ≤ 135/85 mm Hg and office BPs ≤ 140/90 mm Hg) achievement rates were 42.9% in the morning and 64.3% at office. No adverse events were recognized in all patients. Candesartan treatment significantly reduced the morning and office BPs compared with other ARBs in Japanese patients with morning hypertension.