effectiveness and patient self-assessed compliance of blood pressure treatment with tarka® fixed combination in patients with essential hypertension

Conditions: Essential Hypertension

Summary: the fixed combination of verapamil sr/trandolapril (tarka®) is an effective, well-tolerated therapy for the treatment of essential hypertension in those who require more than one agent to achieve optimal blood pressure (bp) control. the endpoint is compliance with tarka® treatment by number/percentage of patients continued on fixed combination tarka therapy after six months. this post marketing observational study will be conducted in a prospective, single-arm, single-country, multicenter format. the investigational sites will be the cardiologists, the doctors of internal medicine and general practicians. since this will be a post marketing observational study, tarka® will be prescribed in usual manner in accordance with the terms of the local market authorization with regards to dose, population and indication as well as the local guidelines.

follow-up of patients enables 4 patient visits during this period. for these reasons, the most likely visits are defined as "inclusion visit" at which treatment with tarka® is to be initiated, and then "follow-up visit week 4-6", "follow-up visit month 3 " and "follow-up visit month 6", although dates will depend only on the decision of the physician. for these reasons, the most likely visits are defined as "s/v" (screening visit), "f1" (follow-up 1), "f2" (follow-up 2), "f3" (follow-up 3). the end point is compliance with tarka® treatment by number/percentage of patients continued on fixed combination tarka therapy after six months.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * men, women more than 18 years * patients with uncontrolled essential hypertension eligible to tarka treatment according to local label (bp ≥ 140/90 mmhg) * patients providing oral informed consent (including consent of their medical data to be used for a post marketing observational study) and cooperating with physician * patients who never received tarka® in the past * patients whom tarka® will be prescribed according to the labelled indication and dose exclusion criteria: * patients contraindicated for treatment of tarka® according to the local summary of product characteristics (smpc): * hypersensitive to the active substances or to any of the inactive ingredients * with cardiogenic shock * with second and third degree atrioventricular block - except in patients with a functioning artificial pacemaker * with sick sinus syndrome - except in patients with a functioning artificial pacemaker * with atrial fibrillation/flutter and concomitant wolff-parkinson-white syndrome * with existing history of angioedema associated with administration of an ace inhibitor * with severe renal (creatinine clearance \< 10 ml/min) or severe liver impairment (cirrhosis with ascites) * pregnant women, women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to use contraception * lactating women * patients who have participated in clinical studies within the last month or who are currently enrolled in clinical studies * patients currently treated with other fixed antihypertensive combination

Keywords: essential hypertension