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·Arterial stiffness is a key marker of increased risk for stroke and heart attack ·Arteries stiffen naturally with increasing age, but this is accelerated in patients with diabetes or high blood pressure ·Study shows Diovan allows blood vessels to regain some of the elasticity they have lost
The natural aging process makes all arteries stiffen over time, but in people with high blood pressure or diabetes this process is accelerated2. Patients with stiff arteries are at increased risk of stroke and heart attack3. The study presented today at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes demonstrates that Diovan, an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and the number one high blood pressure medication4, in combination with hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) reduces this stiffness1, allowing the vessels to regain some of the elasticity they have lost as a result of high blood pressure and diabetes. Diovan demonstrated significantly superior results compared to another type of high blood pressure medication, amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker1. “People with high blood pressure and diabetes are at increased risk of heart and kidney disease and need the best possible protection” said Ameet Nathwani, MD, Global Head Cardiovascular Metabolism & Atherosclerosis, Clinical Development & Medical Affairs, Novartis Pharma AG. “These results further add to the wealth of data which show that in different patient populations Diovan not only lowers blood pressure effectively, but suggests additional protective benefits such as significant reductions in stroke5 and new onset diabetes6”. The study compared the effect of a Diovan-based treatment (Diovan-HCT) with that of amlodipine on aortic pulse wave velocity (Ao-PWV – a measure of arterial stiffness) as well as albumin excretion rate (AER – a marker of kidney function) in 131 people with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and microalbuminuria over 24 weeks. Both medications demonstrated similar reductions in systolic blood pressure, however the Diovan-based treatment demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in mean Ao-PWV compared to amlodipine (-1.1 m/s, p= 0.001) and AER fell by 35% compared to a rise of 24% in the amlodipine group (p=0.0004)1. Dr Janaka Karalliedde, Kings College London, principle investigator of the study explains “the significantly greater reductions in arterial stiffness and albuminuria by Diovan are very exciting and warrant additional studies of specific cardiorenal protective effects.” PWV describes how quickly a blood pressure pulse travels along an artery (measured in meters per second). A normal level is below 8m/s for a healthy person under 60 years old, but the stiffer the artery, the higher the PWV. An increase of 1m/s in Ao-PWV has been shown to equate to a 39% increase in risk of CV events2. Ao-PWV increases with age, rising by approximately 10-15% over 10 years7. Ao-PWV is also an independent marker of cardiovascular risk and mortality in people with high blood pressure8. The benefits of Diovan have been demonstrated through the Diovan clinical trials program involving more than 100,000 patients. The megatrials VALUE, VALIANT, and Val-HEFT demonstrated effective blood pressure-lowering efficacy and cardioprotective benefits of Diovan in a range of different patient types9,10,11. The recently published DROP study also demonstrates that Diovan reduces urinary protein excretion in people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure12. Diovan is available as a powerful first-line treatment for high blood pressure in more than 100 countries, for the treatment of people with heart failure in more than 90 countries, and for the treatment of heart attack survivors in more than 70 countries. www.HealthNewsDigest.com Top of Page 
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