The cost–effectiveness of irbesartan for hypertension

Abstract

High blood pressure is a very common problem in the adult and elderly population, both in developed and developing countries. A relatively large number of drug classes are available to treat this condition and prevent its complications, which are not only more frequent in the aforementioned patients but also those affected by metabolic syndrome and/or Type 2 diabetes. Irbesartan is an angiotensin-receptor blocker class drug with good antihypertensive efficacy and specific pharmacological characteristics, whose efficacy has been more deeply evaluated in metabolically complex hypertensive patients. In this review, the authors will analyze its effectiveness in preventing or delaying organ damage in hypertensive patients, with a closer look at the economic implications of treating hypertension with irbesartan in the context of available antihypertensive drugs.

Keywords:

• cardiovascular disease prevention
• hypertension
• irbesartan
• organ-damage

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Irbesartan therapy is effective in lowering blood pressure, both in systolic and in diastolic hypertensive patients.

• Irbesartan therapy can effectively delay the progression from mild renal impairment to more severe end-stage renal failure; in some cases, it can revert the early renal complications (microalbuminuria).

• The delay in renal disease progression permits to gain life years free of severe disease, a benefit that is greater the earlier irbesartan is introduced in therapy.

• The delay in disease progression is associated also with lower overall healthcare costs, as the lesser time spent with end-stage renal disease greatly outbalances the higher cost of irbesartan in respect to other drugs.

• The cost–effectiveness ratio of hypertension treatment with irbesartan becomes particularly favorable when irbesartan is used to prevent worsening of chronic renal failure secondary to chronic hypertension.

Notes