Experience with Azilsartan and Azilsartan Combined with Chlorthalidone in a Preventive Cardiology Center. Fighting the Therapeutic Inertia with a Program Based on Evidence, Personalization, and Empowerment

In patients with hypertension (HT), cardiovascular risk reduction is directly proportional to the reduction in blood pressure sustained over time. However, in “real life,” blood pressure control is often insufficient or not sustained over time to achieve optimal cardiovascular risk reduction. In this article, we comment on the multiple reasons which explain this common therapeutic failure. Also, in this article, we summarize the amazing basic and clinical phase III evidence of azilsartan (AZL) and azilsartan combined with chlortalidone (CLD), two excellent therapeutic options for HT control. With such evidence as scientific background, we communicate our results with almost 300 HT patients treated with azilsartan and azilsartan/chlortalidone in "real life." In brief, our findings were the following:a) In HT patients with blood pressure (BP) 150/90 mmHg (generally with another treatment failure), AZL/CLD 80/12.5 mg gives women a success rate greater than 60% to achieve a target BP <140/90 mmHg and greater than 50% to achieve a target BP <130/80 mmHg. The success rates were higher in men, greater than 75% to achieve a target BP <140/90 mmHg and greater than 60% to achieve a target BP <130/80 mmHg. In both cases, the use of amlodipine (2.5, 5, or 10 mg) made it possible to achieve a target BP <140/90 mmHg in 100% of the cases and <130/80 mmHg in 80% of the cases. Finally, according to our results, we propose a simple three-step strategy based on evidence, personalization, and empowerment which allows reaching a target BP <140/90 mmHg in more than 90% of cases and a target BP <130/80 mmHg in more than 75% of cases in 4 to 12 weeks.