TELMA - Observational Study in Daily Medical Practice of the Effectiveness of Telmisartan for Treatment of Hypertension in Patients With and Without Confirmed Albuminuria in Belgium

This study was carried out in the context of daily medical practice to compare the effectiveness of telmisartan in the treatment of hypertension complicated or not with the presence of protein in the urine, which is called albuminuria. Hypertension is a chronic, treatable but not curable disease and is defined as a combination of a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or more and a diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg or more. The kidneys are often the first organs damaged by hypertension; renal damage could easily be diagnosed using a urine dipstick and should be part of a routine examination in hypertensive patient. The aim of the study is to see if the decrease of blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) after approximately 12 weeks of treatment with telmisartan in patients with albuminuria is the same or different to that in patients without albuminuria. Every patient participating should have two visits, approximately 12 weeks apart where his/her blood pressure was checked and a few questions about is concomitant disease and drugs were asked.