title: Public health value of fixed-dose combinations in hypertension.
abstract: It is well documented that reducing blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive individuals reduces the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. Despite this, many patients with hypertension remain untreated or inadequately treated, and fail to reach the recommended BP goals. Suboptimal BP control, whilst arising from multiple causes, is often due to poor patient compliance and/or persistence, and results in a significant health and economic burden on society. The use of fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) for the treatment of hypertension has the potential to increase patient compliance and persistence. When compared with antihypertensive monotherapies, FDCs may also offer equivalent or better efficacy, and the same or improved tolerability. As a result, FDCs have the potential to reduce both the CV event rates and the non-drug healthcare costs associated with hypertension. When FDCs are adopted for the treatment of hypertension, issues relating to copayment, formulary restrictions and therapeutic reference pricing must be addressed.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension Unit, 12 de Octubre Hospital, Madrid, Spain. ruilope@ad-hocbox.com
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ruilope
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burnier
authors.forename: Noemi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muszbek
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Abdulkadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keskinaslan
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferber
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harms
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004338:Drug Combinations; D016527:Drug Costs; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011634:Public Health
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations