Abstract
BACKGROUND: Effective blood pressure (BP) control is vital for preventing target organ damage, and combination therapy offers added benefits when single-agent treatment is insufficient. This cohort study examined whether Telminuvo, a single-pill combination of telmisartan and S-amlodipine, effectively maintains kidney function as a target organ in a large cohort of Korean patients. METHODS: A total of 4,934 patients from 30 hospitals were treated with Telminuvo for over six months, with BP, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), electrolyte levels, and adverse events monitored throughout the study period. RESULTS: Among the participants, 1,463 (29.7%) used Telminuvo for less than 1 year, while the remainder used it for longer. At baseline, the systolic and diastolic BP averaged 140.2 ± 18.4 mmHg and 82.1 ± 13.4 mmHg, respectively, which significantly decreased to approximately 130 and 75 mmHg after the initiation of treatment. The baseline eGFR of 79.3 mL/min/1.73 m(2) remained stable over three years, regardless of the initial eGFR levels. Within the first six months, acute kidney injury (defined as either a ≥ 0.3 mg/dL increase in serum creatinine or a ≥ 50% increase from baseline) occurred in 6.6% of patients, while hyperkalemia (defined as serum potassium levels > 5.5 mmol/L) was observed in 3.2% of patients. CONCLUSION: This cohort study demonstrates that Telminuvo effectively reduces blood pressure without compromising kidney function. Furthermore, the findings provide additional insights into drug-related adverse events, which will be valuable for clinicians in the real-world prescribing of Telminuvo.