Taking benicar/hct , and concern about fda roadmap trial study that it increased risk of cardiovascular death. how safe is it and how widely used?

Safe: Safer if you change your HCTZ (hydrochlorothiazide) to chlorthalidone.

Still safe and used: Benicar (olmesartan) w/ and w/out HCT sells at 8.3 million Rxs/year, and it's in the Top 40 most prescribed. (See Medscape art. #829246.) The most recent info from the FDA was in June 2014; it reported it "found no clear evidence of increased cardiovascular risks." The increased deaths in ROADMAP came mostly in those with the lowest BP. It may be too aggressive BP control rather than the drug is the danger.