TITLE:
A Multicentric, Prospective, Non-Interventional Observational Study of the Usage Pattern, Safety, and Antihypertensive Effectiveness of Telmisartan (TeleshalTM) or Telmisartan plus Hydrochlorothiazide (TeleshalTM-H) in Hypertensive Adults from the Democratic Republic of Congo
AUTHORS:
Tresor Mude, Raymond Dinaouz
KEYWORDS:
Telmisartan, Hydrochlorothiazide, Hypertension, Democratic Republic of Congo, Real-World Evidence, Observational Study, Blood Pressure, Safety
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.16 No.9,
September
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Hypertension is a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experiencing a rapidly increasing burden. Despite the availability of effective antihypertensive agents such as telmisartan and telmisartan plus hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), real-world data on their usage patterns, safety, and effectiveness in the Congolese population remain limited. Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, non-interventional, observational study conducted across multiple clinical sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo over a 12-week period. Adult patients (≥18 years) with hypertension who were clinically suitable for the prescription of telmisartan (TeleshalTM) or telmisartan plus HCTZ (TeleshalTM-H) were enrolled. Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, blood pressure, treatment adherence, and adverse events were collected at baseline and at week 12. Changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were assessed using paired t-tests. Results: A total of 482 patients were enrolled and 388 patients (203 in the telmisartan (TeleshalTM) group and 185 in the telmisartan + HCTZ (TeleshalTM-H) group) were assigned a study drug and dose. The mean age was 58.60 ± 12.00 years in the telmisartan group and 60.75 ± 11.76 years in the telmisartan + HCTZ group. Females comprised 50.7% and 60.5% of the respective groups. The most common comorbidities were diabetes (29.1% and 42.7%) and dyslipidemia (29.6% and 27.6%). In the telmisartan group, mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased from 161.54 mmHg at baseline to 144.29 mmHg at week 12 (mean reduction: 10.68%, P Conclusion: Both telmisartan monotherapy (TeleshalTM) and telmisartan/HCTZ combination therapy (TeleshalTM-H) delivered statistically and clinically meaningful BP reductions with a favorable safety profile in a real-world DRC hypertensive cohort, confirming their utility as pragmatic options for hypertension management in Sub-Saharan African routine care.