ACCOMPLISH study: challenging the choice of antihypertensive medications in systolic hypertensive patients with high cardiovascular risk

摘要

Arterial hypertension is an important cardiovascular risk factor. The benefit drawn from decreasing and normalizing the blood pressure level is indisputable. The ACCOMPLISH study performed in patients older than 65 with systolic hypertension and a high cardiovascular risk pointed out the interest of well choosing the antihypertensive combination to reduce this risk beyond the decrease of blood pressure. The association of benazepril (an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or ACEI) and amlodipine (a calcium antagonist) has shown significant early cardiovascular protection in such patients as compared to the classic association including the same ACEI and hydrochlorothiazide, in spite of the same target blood pressure reached. This important finding does not contest the interest of a well controlled blood pressure in hypertension, but probably will modify our first antihypertensive combination choice in the future in patients with such cardiovascular profile.