Antihypertensive efficacy and safety of the angiotensin receptor blocker azilsartan in elderly patients with hypertension

OBJECTIVES: The number of elderly patients with hypertension has been steadily increasing. However, there are limited data on the safety and efficacy of the new angiotensin type 1 receptor blocker (ARB) azilsartan in elderly patients with hypertension. We investigated the clinical efficacy and safety of azilsartan in this population. METHODS: The study population comprised 56 ambulatory patients with essential hypertension. We evaluated the reduction in blood pressure and safety after 12 weeks of treatment with azilsartan in 29 hypertensive patients ≥65 years of age (aged group) in comparison with the findings in 27 patients <65 years of age (non-aged group). RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure in the aged group declined significantly from 155 ± 18 mmHg at baseline to 138 ± 11 mmHg after 12 weeks of treatment with azilsartan, and that in the non-aged group also declined significantly from 152 ± 20 mmHg at baseline to 142 ± 13 mmHg after 12 weeks of treatment with azilsartan. There were no significant differences in the magnitude of change in blood pressures from pre-treatment to post-treatment with azilsartan between the non-aged and aged groups. There were no changes in clinical laboratory findings, including serum levels of creatinine, potassium, lipids, and other metabolic variables, after 12 weeks of treatment with azilsartan in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that azilsartan is effective in lowering blood pressure in elderly patients and may be safe. Therefore, azilsartan could be a valuable option for treating hypertension in elderly and non-elderly patients.