MONDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The vasodilator darusentan significantly lowers blood pressure in patients whose hypertension is resistant to current drugs, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in The Lancet.

Michael A. Weber, M.D., from the State University of New York in New York City, and colleagues randomly assigned 379 patients who had hypertension (systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or more; 130 mm Hg or more with diabetes or chronic kidney disease) despite treatment with at least three blood-pressure-lowering drugs (including a diuretic) to placebo or darusentan (50 mg, 100 mg, or 300 mg) once a day.

After 14 weeks, the researchers found that all three doses of darusentan led to significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure reductions were 9/5 mm Hg (placebo), 17/10 mm Hg (darusentan 50 mg), 18/10 mm Hg (darusentan 100 mg), and 18/11 mm Hg (darusentan 300 mg). The main adverse events were edema or fluid retention (14 percent of placebo, 27 percent of darusentan). There was one sudden cardiac death in the placebo group and five patients in the darusentan groups had serious cardiac-related adverse events.

"Darusentan provides additional reduction in blood pressure in patients who have not attained their treatment goals with three or more antihypertensive drugs," Weber and colleagues conclude. "As with other vasodilatory drugs, fluid management with effective diuretic therapy might be needed."

The study was funded by Gilead Sciences and several authors reported financial relationships with various pharmaceutical companies.

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)