Calcium Channel Blocker Adalat® GITS Offer Additional Benefits

Main Category: Hypertension
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology;  Stroke / Neuroprotection;  Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 02 Apr 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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Two recently published articles in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology provide further evidence that the use of the long-acting calcium channel blocker (CCB) nifedipine GITS (Adalat GITS) has additional benefits beyond its blood pressure lowing effect. A first publication from Lubsen et al. (Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2007; first published online) demonstrates that while the blood pressure lowering effect of nifedipine GITS did play a major role in the reduction of debilitating stroke and new overt heart failure, the anti-anginal and vascular protective effects of nifedipine GITS seem to be just as important in reducing cardiovascular events. A second publication by Poole-Wilson et al. (Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2007; first published online) also demonstrates that a nifedipine GITS therapy in patients with stable angina can help contain healthcare expenses by reducing the need for additional medication and the use of expensive diagnostic and surgical procedures. Both these papers are based on analyses of the ACTION-database. ACTION (A Coronary Disease Trial Investigating Outcome with Nifedipine GITS) collected data from 7,665 patients with stable angina pectoris.

Lowering blood pressure helps reduce stroke and heart failure

The ACTION-trial showed that adding nifedipine GITS to a best practice angina pectoris therapy significantly reduced the incidence of any stroke or TIA (28%) and the development of new overt heart failure (29%). Using an innovative statistical approach, Lubsen et al. found that nifedipine GITS' ability to lower systolic blood pressure was largely responsible for these impressive results. The reduction in the risks of coronary angiography and surgery, attributed to nifedipine GITS on the other hand, are likely to be due to an anti-anginal and a vascular protective effect.

Efficient utilization of resources

Using the ACTION data, Poole-Wilson et al. showed that adding nifedipine GITS to the best practice therapy reduced the need for additional medication and also the use of expensive diagnostic and surgical procedures together with their associated costs. Basis for the calculation of hospital expenses was a reference hospital in the Netherlands. The estimated cost of medication was also based on drug pricing in the Netherlands. In total the incremental cost of the nifedipine GITS therapy was just about € 69 per year, or about € 3,036 per year of event free survival.

Bayer HealthCare

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Bayer Schering Pharma

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Bayer Schering Pharma
Bayer Schering Pharma