PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the blood pressure-lowering and cholesterol-lowering effects of a fixed-dose combination therapy using candesartan (CND)/rosuvastatin (RSV) compared with CND or RSV monotherapy in patients with hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

METHODS

This study was a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. A total of 394 patients were screened. After a 4-week run-in period, 219 of these patients with hypertension and primary hypercholesterolemia were randomized. Patients received 1 of 3 regimens for 8 weeks: (1) CND 32 mg/RSV 20 mg, (2) RSV 20 mg, or (3) CND 32 mg. The primary outcome variables were changes in the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and the percentage changes in LDL-C from baseline to the drug treatment at 8 weeks. The secondary outcome variables were percentage changes of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, non-HDL-C, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and glucose metabolic indices, including percentage changes of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), adiponectin, and hemoglobin A. Tolerability of combination therapy was compared with other monotherapy groups.

FINDINGS

The percentage changes of LDL-C were -48.6% (from 157.2 to 80.1 mg/dL) in the RSV group and -49.8% (from 160.2 to 78.9 mg/dL) in the CND/RSV group from baseline to the end of 8 weeks of treatment. Mean SBP and DBP were significantly decreased in the CND/RSV and CND groups after 8 weeks (P < 0.001 for all); however, no significant differences were found between the 2 groups. Total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, non-HDL-C, and apolipoprotein B were significantly reduced in the CND/RSV and RSV groups, with no significant differences between the groups compared with the CND group (P < 0.001 for all). The percentage changes of HOMA-IR, adiponectin, and hemoglobin A had no significant differences between the combination groups and monotherapy groups. However, in a 2-sample t test, HOMA-IR was significantly decreased in the CND/RSV group compared with the RSV group in nondiabetic patients (mean [SD] percentage change of HOMA-IR, -8.7% [37.6%] vs 17.1% [53.1%]; P = 0.048). There were no significant differences in metabolic indices between the diabetic groups. Adverse events in the CND/RSV group were similar to those in the monotherapy group.

IMPLICATIONS

Once-daily fixed-dose combination therapy with CND/RSV is an effective, tolerable, convenient treatment option for patients with essential hypertension and hypercholesteremia. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02770261.