Hypertension Medication Benefits Questioned
CHICAGO (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In a study comparing a common hypertension medication with other treatments for the same condition, researchers from Chicago say there are no benefits.
Henry Black, M.D., of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, and colleagues compared the benefits of the calcium-channel blocker verapamil (Verelan(R)) to a beta-blocker and a diuretic in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. More than 16,600 people with hypertension and one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease were given one of the three medications. The participants were followed for about three years and stroke, heart attack or cardiovascular disease-related death was noted.
At the end of the study, the participants had their blood pressure checked. It was discovered they had nearly equal reductions in blood pressure regardless of the medication they were taking. Also, there was no significant difference in the number of cardiac events between the groups. Researchers note, "The incidence of acute [heart attack] was about 18-percent lower with COER verapamil than with the atenolol (beta-blocker) or hydrochlorothiazide group (diuretic); this benefit was offset by a 15-percent higher risk of stroke."
The researchers concluded that the study was not able to prove any benefits of a controlled-onset extended-release beta-blocker over a calcium channel blocker or a diuretic in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003;289:2073-2082
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