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Saturday, November 29, 2003THE ANALYSIS found that low-dose aspirin was as effective as and much cheaper than statins, which lower cholesterol, or the blood thinning drug clopidogrel, which is sold under the brand name Plavix by the French drug firm Sanofi-Synthelabo. “This analysis confirms the poor cost effectiveness of statins and clopidogrel compared with aspirin and antihypertensive treatments,” Tom Marshall, of the University of Birmingham in England, said in the British Medical Journal. Here's his data: The most cost effective preventive treatments are aspirin, initial antihypertensive treatment (bendrofluazide and atenolol), and intensive antihypertensive treatment (bendrofluazide, atenolol and enalapril), whereas simvastatin and clopidogrel are the least cost effective (cost per coronary event prevented in a patient at 10% coronary risk over five years is £3500 for aspirin, £12,500 for initial antihypertensives, £18,300 for intensive antihypertensives, £60,000 for clopidogrel, and £61,400 for simvastatin). Aspirin in a patient at 5% five year coronary risk costs less than a fifth as much per event prevented (£7900) as simvastatin in a patient at 30% five year risk (£40, 800). In pounds or dollars, that's quite a difference. posted by Sydney on 11/29/2003 07:39:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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