Micardis
® (
telmisartan) is a prescription medicine that has been licensed to
treat high blood pressure (
hypertension) in adults. It is also approved to reduce the risk of
heart attacks,
strokes, or related deaths in people at high risk for such problems that cannot take angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, also known as ACE inhibitors (ACE inhibitors would be the preferred treatment for most people).
Micardis is manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Micardis is part of a class of drugs called angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBs for short. It blocks angiotensin II receptors (hence, its classification as an angiotensin II receptor blocker). This decreases the effectiveness of a chemical known as angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow (constrict). By blocking the effects of angiotensin II, Micardis causes blood vessels to relax, which can
lower blood pressure.
A
blood pressure reading consists of two numbers -- for example: 120/80. The top number is known as the
systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is the
diastolic blood pressure. During clinical studies in people taking Micardis 80 mg, systolic
blood pressure decreased, on average, by 12 to 13 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 7 to 8 mmHg, on average. Lower doses of the drug resulted in a smaller drop in blood pressure.
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