Micardis (Telmisartan): Evidence-Based Analysis for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Management

Class: Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) Mechanism: Selective AT1 receptor antagonist Half-life: ~24 hours (longest in class) Bioavailability: 42-58% 1. Introduction: What is Micardis? Its Role in Modern Medicine Look, I’ve been prescribing antihypertensives for over two decades now, and I’ve seen the landscape shift dramatically. When Micardis hit the market in the late 1990s, we already had losartan, valsartan, irbesartan—so why did we need another ARB? The answer, as it turned out, was pretty compelling.