Hypertension Educational Reading

* Only Micardis^® (telmisartan) 80-mg tablets are indicated for cardiovascular risk reduction. All other MICARDIS and Micardis^® HCT (telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide) tablets dosages are indicated for the treatment of hypertension only. MICARDIS 80 mg is indicated for reduction of the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes in patients 55 years of age or older at high risk of developing major cardiovascular events who are unable to take ACE inhibitors. High risk for cardiovascular events can be evidenced by a history of coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or high-risk diabetes (insulin-dependent or non-insulin-dependent) with evidence of end-organ damage. MICARDIS can be used in addition to other needed treatment (such as antihypertensive, antiplatelet, or lipid-lowering therapy). Studies of telmisartan in this setting do not exclude that it may not preserve a meaningful fraction of the effect of the ACE inhibitor to which it was compared. Consider using the ACE inhibitor first, and, if it is stopped for cough only, consider re-trying the ACE inhibitor after the cough resolves. Use of telmisartan with an ACE inhibitor is not recommended.¹

^† Dosage must be individualized. In the treatment of hypertension, the usual starting dose of MICARDIS tablets is 40 mg once a day. Blood pressure response is dose-related over the range of 20-80 mg. For patients who need even greater efficacy, MICARDIS HCT is available in 40/12.5-mg, 80/12.5-mg, and 80/25-mg tablets. Available as a unit dose. In the treatment of cardiovascular risk reduction, the recommended dose of MICARDIS is 80 mg once a day. It is not known whether doses lower than 80 mg of telmisartan are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. When initiating MICARDIS therapy for cardiovascular risk reduction, monitoring of blood pressure is recommended and, if appropriate, adjustment of medications that lower blood pressure may be necessary.¹