Telmisartan

Status

FDA-approved. FDA-approved labeling exists as Micardis for hypertension and for cardiovascular risk reduction in patients unable to take ACE inhibitors. It carries a boxed warning for foetal toxicity, requiring discontinuation when pregnancy is detected.

What it is

A blood pressure medicine sometimes tracked alongside hormone protocols.

What published research measured

An angiotensin II receptor blocker with a well-established randomized base for hypertension and, from the ONTARGET trial, cardiovascular risk reduction comparable to ramipril with better tolerability. The reason it appears in a longevity and metabolic context rather than only a cardiology one is a genuine pharmacological distinction: telmisartan is a partial agonist at PPAR-gamma, the receptor targeted by the glitazone class, and clinical studies report improvements in insulin sensitivity and lipid parameters beyond those attributable to blood pressure reduction alone. It has the longest half-life in its class. As with all renin-angiotensin blockers it is contraindicated in pregnancy with a boxed warning, and it can cause hyperkalaemia and reduced renal function, particularly alongside potassium supplements or NSAIDs.

Source

ONTARGET trial · FDA labeling for Micardis, including the foetal toxicity boxed warning

Sources

• Half-life source for Telmisartan