Effect of telmisartan on the psychological state and quality of life in stable hypertension patients

Effects of the standard doses of telmisartan (20-80 mg) and enalapril (5-10 mg) on the arterial pressure (AP, circadian monitoring), psychological state (Minnesota Multiphase Personality Inventory questionnaire, Russian version), and quality of life (General Well-Being Questionnaire) were studied in a randomized, parallel group trial in 30 patients with stable, soft-to-moderate arterial hypertension. The initial control 2-week period was followed by a 12-week period of active therapy. It was established that the long-term administration of both drugs in standard doses produced comparable antihypertensive effect, reliably reducing the averaged AP characteristics. Both drugs also improved the quality of life: enalapril influenced predominantly the psychological score, while telmisartan increased both psychological score and social score. Long-term administration of both drugs had a positive effect on the psychological state of hypertensive patients.