Treatment of patients with high cardiovascular risk: a modern view on combined therapy

Abstract

Introduction. Lack of efficacy of treatment with several medications in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is often explained by low compliance to treatment. Using combined therapy (CT) is one of the ways to increase compliance. Objective. To evaluate the influence of CT consisting of amlodipine, lisinopril and rosuvastatin on arterial elastance and serum fibrosis marker levels in patients with high CVD risk. Materials and methods. The study included 66 patients (mean age 66.5 years, 5% male, 95% female) with atherosclerosis of the brachiocephalic arteries. Serum levels of cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL); brachial and central blood pressure (BP); brachial-ankle and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (baPWV and cfPWV, respectively); and augmentation index (AI) were determined initially and after 6 months of CT. Results. Against the background of CT statistically significant reduction of levels of LDL from 4.1 (3.6; 4.7) to 2.2 (1.8; 2.5) mmol/L (p<0.01); systolic and diastolic brachial BP from 127 (116; 144) to 122 (115; 132) mm Hg (p<0.01) and from 79 (72; 89) to 75 (70; 83) mm Hg (p<0.01), respectively; systolic and diastolic central BP from 125 (112; 139) to 120 (110; 124) mm Hg (p<0.01) and from 80 (75; 87) to 76 (70; 81) mm Hg (p<0.01), respectively; baPWV from 13.6 (12.5; 15.9) to 12.9 (11.8; 14.2) m/s (p<0.01); cfPWV from 11 (9; 12.2) to 9,4 (8.4; 10.2) m/s (p<0.01); and AI from 31 (25; 35) to 26 (21; 32) (p<0,05) was observed. Conclusion. CT consisting of amlodipine, lisinopril and rosuvastatin resulted in BP and LDL target level achievement and arterial stiffness reduction in patients with AH and high CVD risk. Further research is also necessary to more thoroughly assess efficacy of CT.