For doctors, deciding on the right medicine for a patient’s high blood pressure may be difficult since there are so many options.
Two commonly prescribed medications for patients with high blood pressure were found to be equally effective at improving cardiovascular outcomes, but the more commonly prescribed medication has slightly more side effects, according to a multinational observational study led by Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons researchers.
- Neuroscience Breakthrough: Study Pinpoints Brain Activity That Helps Prevent Us From Getting Lost
- Brief Anger Hampers Blood Vessel Function Leading to Increased Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke – New Study
- New Blood Test Pinpoints Future Stroke Risk – Study Identifies Inflammatory Molecules as Key Biomarker
- Enceladus: A Potential Haven for Extraterrestrial Life in its Hidden Ocean Depths
- New Experiment: Dark Matter Is Not As ‘DARK’ As All We Think
The research, which analysed claims and electronic health records from millions of patients worldwide, is the largest to date in terms of comparing the safety and efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), two commonly prescribed antihypertensive medications.
ACE inhibitors and ARBs are two options, and they both work in a similar manner. Both decrease the risk of stroke and heart attacks, but it is well established that ACE inhibitors raise the risk of cough and angioedema (severe swelling in the face and airways).
They examined insurance claims and electronic health data from roughly 3 million patients in Europe, Korea, and the United States who were beginning antihypertensive therapy with either an ACE inhibitor or an ARB to determine the optimal option.
It was difficult to conduct research using data from electronic health records and insurance claims. They may be inaccuracies, omissions, or include information that distorts the findings.
And sort it out this issue, the researchers used a number of cutting-edge mathematical methods created by the OHDSI collaborative network to significantly decrease bias and balance the two treatment groups as if they had been recruited in a prospective study.
With the help of this method, the scientists tracked four cardiovascular outcomes–heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and sudden cardiac death–and 51 side effects in patients after they started antihypertensive treatment.
The researchers discovered that almost all of the patients—2.3 million—had an ACE inhibitor given to them. Although the two medication classes showed no difference in the risk of severe cardiovascular problems in individuals with hypertension, one was shown to be more effective in lowering the risk of other heart conditions.
Patients were on ACE inhibitors had a greater risk of cough and angioedema, but they also had a higher risk of pancreatitis and gastrointestinal haemorrhage, according to the research.
“Our study largely confirmed that both antihypertensive drug classes are similarly effective, though ARBs may be a little safer than ACE inhibitors,” Hripcsak says.
- Neuroscience Breakthrough: Study Pinpoints Brain Activity That Helps Prevent Us From Getting Lost
- Brief Anger Hampers Blood Vessel Function Leading to Increased Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke – New Study
- New Blood Test Pinpoints Future Stroke Risk – Study Identifies Inflammatory Molecules as Key Biomarker
- Enceladus: A Potential Haven for Extraterrestrial Life in its Hidden Ocean Depths
- New Experiment: Dark Matter Is Not As ‘DARK’ As All We Think
“This provides that extra bit of evidence that may make physicians feel more comfortable about prescribing ARBs versus ACE inhibitors when initiating monotherapy for patients with hypertension. And it shows that large-scale observational studies such as this can offer important insight in choosing among different treatment options in the absence of large randomized clinical trials.”