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Antihypertensive therapy adds up ' .•• Tiu plu".,,,,,cological tmltmellt 0/ "y~rtellSioll

ap~n to be re14ti,ely cost-iuffecti,e.' From a total of 2675 prescriptions for antihypertensives written for 1858 patients with mild to moderate hypertension, the average annual cost of treating hypertension was estimated to be NZ$430 (84% of which was drug costs alone). Gain in life expectancy ranged from 2.3 to 11.4 months for men and from 1.4 to 7.6 months in women. Antihypertensive therapy increased 'quality­adjusted life years' by 1.8-11.5 months in men and by 2.5-11.3 months for women. Therapy cost was estimated to be $30 200-188 000 per 'quality­adjusted life year' for men and $62000-547700 per 'quality-adjusted life year' for women.

These values were well in excess of estimated costs for heart transplantation ($20 000 per 'quality-adjusted life year') and coronary artery bypass surgery ($20 000-30 000 per 'quality­adjusted life year'). Kawachi I. Malcolm LA. Treating mild to moderate hypenension: cost-effectiveness and policy implications. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology 16 (Suppl. 7): 5126-SI28. 1990 6027

_ JJ Apr 1991 INPHARMA. ISSN OI56-270J/91/041J-()(J()8/0S01.00/0 cAd" I.tenuuiolllll Ltd