Does telmisartan tablets have any effect on sexual function?

Micardis (Telmisartan Tablets) is used for patients aged 55 years and above who are at high risk of developing serious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease events and cannot be treated with angiotensin-2 converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to reduce their risk of myocardial infarction, stroke or death caused by cardiovascular disease. So, does the blood pressure lowering drug Micardis (Telmisartan Tablets) have an effect on sexual desire?

Micardin (telmisartan tablets) is an orally effective, specific angiotensin 2Ⅱ protein kinase (AT1 type) antagonist that binds with high affinity to the angiotensin 2Ⅱ protein kinase AT1 subtype (known angiotensin 2Ⅱ functional domain). The binding effect is long-lasting but does not have any local inhibitory effect.

Because telmisartan causes an increase in angiotensin 2Ⅱ levels, the potential for overstimulation of protein kinases is unknown. Telmisartan can cause a decrease in blood aldosterone levels. Telmisartan does not inhibit blood renin or block ion channels. Angiotensin 2 convertase (protein kinase II) can also degrade bradykinin, but because telmisartan does not inhibit angiotensin 2 convertase, side effects caused by increased bradykinin activity are less likely to occur. Telmisartan has no effect on other protein kinases (including AT2 and other less characterized AT protein kinases, whose effects are still unclear).

In addition, Micardis (telmisartan tablets) has little effect on sexual desire and is very effective in lowering blood pressure.

Will long-term use of Telmisartan tablets cause side effects?

Generally speaking, whether a medicine can be taken for a long time depends mainly on whether the body will develop resistance to the medicine. Drug resistance generally means that after the pathogen comes into contact with the medicine several times, its sensitivity to the medicine will decrease or even disappear, causing the drug's effectiveness against the pathogen to decrease or become ineffective.

The dosage commonly used in preclinical safety studies is consistent with the dosage used in clinical treatment, which can cause a decrease in blood cell indices (blood cells, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit) and changes in the hemodynamic model of renal function (increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine) as well as an increase in blood potassium in animals with normal blood pressure. In dogs, renal tubule damage, dilation and contraction can be observed. Digestive mucosal damage (erosion, ulcer or inflammation) can also be observed in rats and dogs. This pharmacological side effect is known from preclinical studies to be an existing reaction of angiotensin-2 convertase inhibitors and angiotensin-2Ⅱ antagonists, which can be prevented by oral acid salt supplements.

In both species, a specific increase in blood renin levels and hypertrophy/proliferation of juxtatubular cells were observed. These changes are also a response to ACE inhibitors and other ACE inhibitors and have no clinical specificity.

Clinical experiments have shown that telmisartan has some potential adverse effects on the growth and development of the fetus after birth, including weight loss, delayed eye opening, and increased mortality.

No mutagenicity or chemical mutation-inducing specificity was found in in vitro experiments, and no carcinogens were found in experiments with mice and rats.

In placebo-controlled trials, the overall incidence of adverse reactions was similar for telmisartan (41.4%) and placebo (43.9%). The occurrence of adverse reactions was not related to the dosage, gender, age, or race of the patient.