Blood pressure guidelines create new danger zone - Canadian industry shill tries to increase sales of blood pressure meds for pfizer et. al.
- From: "TC" <tunderbar@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 19 Jan 2007 11:42:44 -0800
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070118/hypertension_070118/20070118?hub=Health
Blood pressure guidelines create new danger zone
Updated Thu. Jan. 18 2007 11:25 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
New research suggests that people with so-called "high-normal" blood
pressure should seek treatment, prompting revised guidelines for
preventing hypertension.
"We now have evidence that people in the high-normal upper range of
blood pressure are more likely to develop hypertension," Dr. Sheldon
Tobe, of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, told CTV News.
He added that "40 per cent will develop hypertension within two years."
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading causes of
death in Canada. It puts patients at greater risk for heart attacks,
strokes, kidney failure and even dementia.
It's estimated that about 5 million Canadians have the condition,
meaning their blood pressure exceeds 140/90 -- a measurement that looks
at systolic and diastolic pressure.
A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 or less. Canadians who have
high-normal blood pressure have a systolic reading between 130 and 139,
and a diastolic reading between 85 and 89.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, about 2.5 million
Canadians have high-normal blood pressure.
"And the new information we have is that . . . about half of people
with high-normal blood pressure will develop full-blown hypertension in
four years," Tobe told The Canadian Press.
He added that hypertension is also a condition that affects young men
-- about one in 10 of those aged 18 to 35 have high blood pressure,
according to a Canadian Heart Health Survey.
"Many of these young men go undiagnosed because they're (otherwise)
healthy and they often don't see their family doctors," said Tobe.
"And if they do, it's not to have their blood pressure checked."
But after the age of 65, more women have hypertension than men.
Researchers believe that's because elderly women have lost the effects
of estrogen and other sex hormones.
"So if we can screen for hypertension in women as they're getting
older, postmenopausal, that's where we can identify women who have
high-normal blood pressure and help to get them enamoured with
lifestyle interventions, and perhaps we could help prevent them from
developing hypertension altogether," Tobe told CP.
"If they start early, perhaps they will not need medication at all or
could delay the need for it by years or decades."
The Heart and Stroke Foundation now has the following guidelines:
People with high-normal blood pressure should have it checked at least
once a year;
All Canadians should have their blood pressure checked during visits to
the doctor;
About 40 per cent of overweight Canadians with high-normal blood
pressure will develop full-blown hypertension within two years, and 60
per cent within four years;
Canadians should reduce their salt intake to less than 2,300 milligrams
a day -- too much sodium can cause hypertension; and,
An active, healthy lifestyle -- including regular physical activity --
is urged to prevent high blood pressure.
*************
About Dr. Tobe:
http://japan.medscape.com/viewarticle/481801
Disclosure: Sheldon W. Tobe, MD, FRCPC, has disclosed that he has
received grants for clinical research and grants for educational
activities from Gotham/Pfizer Canada. Dr. Tobe has reported that he
does not discuss any investigational or unlabeled uses of commercial
products in this activity.
**
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1435956
Support for this study was provided by the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research (CIHR), in partnership with Pfizer Canada.
**
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/167/6/661
This project was sponsored by the Canadian Coalition for High Blood
Pressure Prevention and Control, the Canadian Hypertension Society, the
College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation
of Canada, and the Adult Disease Division and Bureau of
Cardio-Respiratory Diseases and Diabetes, Centre for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Control, Health Canada.
The work was financially supported, through unrestricted grants, by
Bayer Health Care Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim-GlaxoSmithKline,
Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Inc., Crystaal, Merck Frosst Canada Inc.,
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., Pfizer Canada Inc., Servier
Canada Inc. and Solvay Pharma.
Competing interests: Drs. Campbell, Feldman and Drouin are paid
consultants for several companies that manufacture drugs used in the
treatment of hypertension and in this capacity have received travel
assistance to attend advisory board meetings. They have also received
honoraria and other compensation from several companies for conducting
research related to the material in this article, as well as speaker
fees and educational grants.
**
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2006/14/c2110.html
KIRKLAND, QC, Feb. 14 /CNW Telbec/ - Pfizer Canada Inc. announced today
that CADUET(TM) (amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium), the
first
treatment to address multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease,
is now
available in Canada. ...............
"CADUET represents an important therapeutic advance. It will allow
physicians to help their patients with simpler dosing of medications.
Patients
can have a comprehensive approach while providing the safety and
efficacy of
two leading treatments in one single pill," said Dr. Sheldon Tobe,
Associate
Professor of Medicine, Nephrology, at the University of Toronto. "With
CADUET,
I can help prevent the devastating cardiovascular events from occurring
in
hypertensive patients with multiple risk factors."
*****
CANADIAN HYPERTENSION EDUCATION PROGRAM
http://www.hypertension.ca/chep/whatCHEPva.html
CHEP financial support
CHEP has direct and indirect funding from the Public Health Agency of
Canada and indirect funding from the Canadian Hypertension Society and
Blood Pressure Canada. Canadian research and development pharmaceutical
companies provide equal financial support for CHEP infrastructure each
year. In 2006 the sponsors were Abbott, Sanofi Aventis, Astra Zeneca,
Bayer, Biovail, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck
Frosst, Novartis, Pfizer, Servier and Solvay. CHEP also receives
funding for specific implementation projects and outcomes research
projects. In 2006 funding was received from Pfizer Canada for
production of a summary pocket booklet and from Servier Canada for the
development of a patient self care booklet. Pfizer Canada, Merck Frosst
Canada, Sanofi Aventis, Bristol Myers Squibb and Servier Canada have
funded epidemiological research projects. CHEP associated surveillance
projects have received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada
(PHAC), the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Institutes for
Health Research.
***
Sounds more like the Canadian Hypertension Drug and Sales Program.
Absolutely shameful. So much for professional and scientific integrity.
TC
.
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