Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide

Telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide, a combination medicine, is often prescribed for the treatment of high blood pressure. By causing the blood vessels to relax and increasing the amount of water removed from the blood, which, in turn, decreases blood volume, the medication is effective in lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide comes in tablet form and is available in several strengths.

Telmisartan and Hydrochlorothiazide

What Is Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide?

Telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide (Micardis HCT^®) is a prescription medicine that has been licensed to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) in adults. The drug has not been approved for use in children.

(Click What Is Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Used For? for more information on specific uses, including possible off-label uses.)

Who Makes Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide?

Telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide is manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim.

How Does Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Work?

Telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide is a combination of two medicines --

telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide. Telmisartan is a newer type of blood pressure medicine known as an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB for short). As the name implies, telmisartan blocks angiotensin II receptors. 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, telmisartan causes blood vessels to relax.

Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic, which is commonly referred to as a "water pill." It works by increasing the amount of salt and water that the kidneys remove from the blood. This extra salt and water are passed out through the urine. By increasing the amount of water removed from the blood, hydrochlorothiazide causes a decrease in blood volume.

The combined effects of telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide cause a greater drop in blood pressure than when either medicine is used alone.

(Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Continued: Page 2)