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. 2011 Feb;25(2):130-6.
doi: 10.1038/jhh.2010.36. Epub 2010 Apr 8.

Health-care costs of losartan and candesartan in the primary treatment of hypertension

M Henriksson  1 , D Russell, J Bodegard, S Kjeldsen, P Hasvold, J Stålhammar, L-Å Levin
Affiliations

Health-care costs of losartan and candesartan in the primary treatment of hypertension

M Henriksson et al. J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Feb.

Abstract

A recent study of two widely used angiotensin receptor blockers reported a reduced risk of cardiovascular events (-14.4%) when using candesartan compared with losartan in the primary treatment of hypertension. In addition to clinical benefits, costs associated with treatment strategies must be considered when allocating scarce health-care resources. The aim of this study was to assess resource use and costs of losartan and candesartan in hypertensive patients. Resource use (drugs, outpatient contacts, hospitalizations and laboratory tests) associated with losartan and candesartan treatment was estimated in 14,100 patients in a real-life clinical setting. We electronically extracted patient data from primary care records and mandatory Swedish national registers for death and hospitalization. Patients treated with losartan had more outpatient contacts (+15.6%), laboratory tests (+13.8%) and hospitalizations (+13.8%) compared with the candesartan group. During a maximum observation time of 9 years, the mean total costs per patient were 10,369 Swedish kronor (95% confidence interval: 3109-17,629) higher in the losartan group. In conclusion, prescribing candesartan for the primary treatment of hypertension results in lower long-term health-care costs compared with losartan.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean total discounted health-care costs over time by treatment group. Numbers show the difference in mean total health-care costs (losartan compared with candesartan) with 95% CIs in brackets. SEK=Swedish kronor.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean differences in total discounted health-care costs with various price reductions of generic losartan. Numbers show the difference in mean health-care costs (losartan compared with candesartan) with 95% confidence intervals in brackets. SEK=Swedish kronor.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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