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News release: Colorado - Denver/BoulderDecember 17, 2002 For more information, call: Study finds traditional diuretics treat hypertension better than newer medicines Denver, CO – One in four adults in this country copes daily with high blood pressure. A new study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association finds a common, cost-effective diuretic is more successful in treating hypertension than newer, more costly medicines. Kaiser Permanente Colorado was among the more than 600 health centers and clinics that participated in the study conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The long-term study is the largest one ever done comparing treatments for hypertension. The "Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial," or ALLHAT, shows that thiazide-type diuretics are the best initial choice to treat hypertension and to reduce the risks associated with high blood pressure. The study concludes that because of the superiority of thiazide-type diuretics in preventing one or more major forms of cardiovascular disease and their lower cost, they should be the drug of choice for first-step antihypertensive therapy. If a patient cannot take diuretics, then calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors or other treatments may be considered. If patients require more than one drug to control their hypertension (which is common), diuretics should generally be part of the blood pressure control regimen. Lifestyle issues such as diet and exercise should also be discussed with the patient. "The study confirms that cost-effective diuretic treatment is as effective, if not better treatment, than newer drugs," said Kaiser Permanente assistant medical director Michael Chase, MD, and principal investigator at Kaiser Permanente Colorado. "As we strive to maintain affordability for our patients, it's important to have this kind of evidence to guide our practice." The largely publicly funded study was conducted to help doctors make the best decision for treating patients with high blood pressure. Patients are advised to keep taking their current medicines until they have a chance to review these findings with their doctor. Kaiser Permanente, a non-profit health care organization, cares for 404,000 members in the six-county Denver metro area and in Colorado Springs. Its scores for clinical effectiveness placed it among the top 15 health plans in the nation, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance's annual Health Care Quality Report. In the Denver metro area, care is provided by a coordinated team of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, mental health counselors and physical therapists. In Colorado Springs, Kaiser Permanente cares for members through an affiliated network of community-based physicians and other health care providers.
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