title: Combination polypharmacy for cardiovascular disease prevention in men: a decision analysis and cost-effectiveness model.
abstract: Pharmacotherapies to lower blood pressure and cholesterol are effective in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The use of fixed-dose medication combinations has not been well studied. The authors created a Markov model to analyze the cost-effectiveness of 4 fixed-dose medications for primary CVD prevention in men. The initial decision node was to treat or not treat men older than 55 years, without CVD, hypertension, or dyslipidemia with a combination of simvastatin, captopril, hydrochlorothiazide, and atenolol. Probability, costs, and effectiveness were derived from the literature. The outcome variable was marginal cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Sensitivity analyses were performed. The average cost of treatment was $70,000 compared with $93,000 for non-treatment. Treatment resulted in 13.62 QALYs vs 12.96 QALYs without treatment. Primary prevention of CVD with fixed-dose medications dominated "no-treatment." The use of a fixed-dose polypharmacy approach to CVD prevention in men older than 55 years may be cost-effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Grobman
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Greenland
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008390:Markov Chains; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors