Update on new forms of tobacco use.

Smoking remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Because of its clear influence on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, it is an important factor in internal medicine consultations. Although the rate of smoking cessation has been increasing in recent years, there is a percentage of patients who continue to smoke because they are unable or unwilling to quit, despite having tried existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies.

Once-daily fixed-combination irbesartan 300 mg/ hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg and circadian blood pressure profile in patients with essential hypertension.

Background: More than 60% of patients with hypertension included in morbidity and mortality trials needed >or=2 drugs to achieve a substantial, sustained reduction in blood pressure. Tolerable combinations using higher doses of antihypertensive drugs are frequently required to control blood pressure.

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the effect of a once-daily fixed combination of irbesartan 300 mg/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 25 mg on the circadian blood pressure profile in patients with essential hypertension that was not controlled with full-dose single therapy or low-dose combined therapy.