Once you take aprexitentan, can you stop it for life? Medication cycle and precautions

Aprocitentan is a new endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), mainly used to treat refractory hypertension, especially in patients with insufficient response to the standard triple antihypertensive regimen. By blocking ET-A and ET-B receptors, it inhibits vasoconstriction and inflammatory response, thereby helping to control blood pressure within a safe range. Many patients often worry about "whether to take the medication for life" when they first come into contact with such drugs. In fact, whether to take aprecitentan long-term depends on the patient's type of hypertension, individual response to the drug, and whether there are organic lesions or other complications. Not everyone must take it for life once they take it, but for most patients with resistant hypertension, long-term medication is often necessary.

Overseas studies have shown that aprecitentan can significantly reduce systolic blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension, and the effect is sustainable. However, once the medication is stopped, blood pressure may rebound, so it is not recommended to interrupt treatment unless necessary. In actual clinical practice, doctors will evaluate whether the medication needs to be continued based on the patient's blood pressure control and adverse reactions, or whether the dosage can be adjusted or combined with other medications. In addition, renal function, electrolytes, weight changes, and edema need to be monitored regularly while taking the drug because the drug has a certain risk of causing fluid retention.

Therefore, although aprecitentan is not absolutely a "lifelong drug", it plays a central role in the management of refractory hypertension. Patients should take medication under the guidance of a specialist and should not stop taking medication or adjust the dosage on their own. At the same time, combined with lifestyle intervention, such as salt restriction, weight loss, regular work and rest, etc., the antihypertensive effect can be improved to a certain extent, and may even create the possibility for some patients to gradually reduce the drug dosage.

In short, whether to use it for life should be decided on an individual basis based on disease characteristics and treatment response.

Reference materials:https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB15059