This report describes an open randomized study intended to evaluate the long-term renoprotective effects of "standard" (80 mg once daily) versus "high" (80 mg twice daily) doses of telmisartan in hypertensive patients without diabetes with biopsy-proven chronic proteinuric nephropathies.We included 78 patients (age, 43.5 +/- 13.2 years; 71.8% men). After a 4-week wash-out period, patients were randomly assigned to telmisartan, 80 mg once daily (n = 40) or 80 mg twice daily (n = 38), during a mean follow-up of 24.6 +/- 2.2 months.Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups, including blood pressure, renal function, and proteinuria. Blood pressure control did not differ between groups during follow-up. In the group administered telmisartan, 80 mg once daily, serum creatinine level increased from 1.6 +/- 0.6 to 2.7 +/- 0.9 mg/dL (141 +/- 52 to 239 +/- 80 micromol/L), and estimated creatinine clearance declined from 68 +/- 30 to 50 +/- 34 mL/min (1.13 +/- 0.50 to 0.83 +/- 0.57 mL/s), whereas in those administered 80 mg twice daily, serum creatinine (1.6 +/- 0.7 to 1.6 +/- 0.8 mg/dL [141 +/- 62 to 141 +/- 71 micromol/L]) and estimated creatinine clearance values (67 +/- 38 to 74 +/- 38 mL/min [1.12 +/- 0.63 to 1.23 +/- 0.63 mL/s]) did not change during the study. The decrease in proteinuria was more pronounced (P0.01) in patients administered the high dose of telmisartan compared with those treated with the standard dose. Serum potassium levels and lipid profiles did not change significantly in either group.Long-term administration of high doses of telmisartan seems to improve the efficacy of the drug to decrease proteinuria and slow the progression to end-stage renal failure in nondiabetic hypertensive renal disease.
