Content about Hypertension

June 20, 2011
CVS fights disease in ethnic communities

CVS/pharmacy spent the last couple of months sponsoring nearly 300 free screening and consultation events in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia targeting African-American communities. 


Part of the chain’s To Your Health program, the events were an extension of the A Su Salud events targeting Hispanic customers in Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Miami. To Your Health started in Atlanta on April 17, moving on to Washington, D.C., on June 12 and Philadelphia on June 19.


June 20, 2011
Merck: Medication beliefs alter adherence

Improving patients’ beliefs about their medication therapies may significantly improve medication adherence, according to a set of studies sponsored by drug maker Merck and presented last month at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research’s 16th annual international meeting in Baltimore.


June 3, 2011
MinuteClinic offers free diabetes monitoring package

CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic locations are offering a free diabetes monitoring package this summer, the company announced on Friday.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic locations are offering a free diabetes monitoring package this summer, the company announced on Friday.

The monitoring package administered by a MinuteClinic practitioner includes hemoglobin A1C and blood glucose tests, a blood pressure check, body mass index, cholesterol test, comprehensive foot exam and microalbumin test (kidney function check). The practitioner also will conduct a review of lifestyle factors and give immediate results and recommendations.

May 31, 2011
GDM risk can be assessed prior to pregnancy

A woman's risk of developing a type of diabetes typically caused by pregnancy can be identified up to seven years prior to becoming pregnant, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente.

OAKLAND, Calif. — A woman's risk of developing a type of diabetes typically caused by pregnancy can be identified up to seven years prior to becoming pregnant, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente.

The study, part of Kaiser Permanente's ongoing research to understand, prevent and treat gestational diabetes mellitus, found that routinely assessing blood sugar and body weight measures can provide women with insight on their risk of developing GDM.

May 24, 2011
Tribenzor well-tolerated among older patients in study

A drug made by Daiichi-Sankyo was safe and effective in maintaining reductions in blood pressure in older patients, according to a new study presented at the American Society of Hypertension’s 26th annual meeting in New York.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — A drug made by Daiichi-Sankyo was safe and effective in maintaining reductions in blood pressure in older patients, according to a new study presented at the American Society of Hypertension’s 26th annual meeting in New York.

The “TRINITY” study of Tribenzor (olmesartan medoxomil, amlodipine besylate and hydrochlorothiazide) showed the drug was well-tolerated and effective in patients ranging in age from younger than 65 years to older than 65 years, after a year.

April 15, 2011
Takeda's Edarbi enters market

Takeda Pharmaceutical has launched a new treatment for high blood pressure, the company said Friday.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Takeda Pharmaceutical has launched a new treatment for high blood pressure, the company said Friday.

Takeda announced the launch of Edarbi (azilsartan medoxomil), which the Food and Drug Administration approved on Feb. 25 as a once-daily pill for hypertension.

March 30, 2011
Wegmans puts spotlight on blood pressure

Wegmans Food Markets on Tuesday introduced new resources for patients concerned about blood pressure and how to best manage their numbers at the Wegmans pharmacy counter.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Wegmans Food Markets on Tuesday introduced new resources for patients concerned about blood pressure and how to best manage their numbers at the Wegmans pharmacy counter. Wegmans also is hosting a blood pressure page on Wegmans.com, where patients can watch seven short videos on ways toward good readings.

March 9, 2011
Merck seeks FDA approval for Saflutan

The Food and Drug Administration has accepted an approval application from Merck for a drug to treat eye diseases, Merck said Wednesday.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted an approval application from Merck for a drug to treat eye diseases, Merck said Wednesday.

Merck is seeking approval for Saflutan (tafluprost) ophthalmic solution, an investigational drug for relieving eye pressure in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

March 1, 2011
Sugary drinks associated with hypertension, study finds

A new study published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association established a link between high blood pressure and the consumption of such beverages as soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks.

DALLAS — A new study published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association established a link between high blood pressure and the consumption of such beverages as soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks.

February 28, 2011
Takeda's Edarbi approved as hypertension treatment

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, the agency said Friday.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, the agency said Friday.

The FDA approved Takeda’s Edarbi (azilsartan medoxomil).

February 24, 2011
Takeda seeks FDA approval for hypertension treatment

Drug maker Takeda has filed for regulatory approval of a drug to treat hypertension, the company said Wednesday.

OSAKA, Japan — Drug maker Takeda has filed for regulatory approval of a drug to treat hypertension, the company said Wednesday.

Takeda announced that it had submitted an application with the Food and Drug Administration for the fixed-dose drug azilsartan medoxomil and chlorthalidone. Azilsartan medoxomil is an angiotensin II receptor blocker, or ARB, that lowers blood pressure by blocking the angiotensin II hormone.

February 22, 2011
New cardiovascular risk calculator now available online

In line with American Heart Month, Boehringer Ingelheim's Micardis has introduced a cardiovascular risk-reduction calculator, designed to assess patients' cardiovascular risk.

NEW YORK — In line with American Heart Month, Boehringer Ingelheim's Micardis has introduced a cardiovascular risk-reduction calculator, designed to assess patients' cardiovascular risk.

The calculator, which can be accessed at MicardisPro.com, is an interactive, useful tool for healthcare professionals to assist patients in reaching their cardiovascular risk-reduction goal, the company said.

Micardis (telmisartan) is a drug designed to treat hypertension.

February 18, 2011
BP kiosk uploads data to EHR

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Blood-pressure kiosks have become a ubiquitous site in retail pharmacies across the country, but like pharmacy automation and technology as a whole, they’re continuing to advance and offer new features.

February 4, 2011
Drug companies move ahead with new medications

The cardiovascular drug market will turn into a difficult conquest in the years to come as it increasingly will be dominated by generics, but that isn’t stopping drug companies from continuing to develop treatments — 299 of them, according to a recent report by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — for high cholesterol, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and other heart-related conditions.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The cardiovascular drug market will turn into a difficult conquest in the years to come as it increasingly will be dominated by generics, but that isn’t stopping drug companies from continuing to develop treatments — 299 of them, according to a recent report by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — for high cholesterol, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and other heart-related conditions.

February 1, 2011
CVS study: Adherence shrinks health costs

Pharmacy and health policy advocates endlessly tout the cost-saving 
benefits of improved medication adherence. In January, CVS Caremark put more teeth into that argument with some dramatic new findings that should get the attention of every health plan payer.


February 1, 2011
PharmaSmart enhances blood-pressure diagnostic, health IT kiosks

PharmaSmart International on Monday announced new advances in its blood-pressure diagnostic and health IT kiosks, including Internet connectivity, patient data tracking and patient health record integration.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — PharmaSmart International on Monday announced new advances in its blood-pressure diagnostic and health IT kiosks, including Internet connectivity, patient data tracking and patient health record integration.

“PharmaSmart now combines a clinically validated diagnostic tool with an easy-to-use health IT platform to offer pharmacists meaningful tools for better patient care,” stated Ashton Maaraba, PharmaSmart GM and SVP. “This represents a new era of clinical pharmacy services.”

January 21, 2011
Obesity and its toll are soaring, CDC says

Obesity rates continue to soar among the U.S. population, particularly in children. And the result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, leads both to “psychosocial problems and to cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes.”

ATLANTA — Obesity rates continue to soar among the U.S. population, particularly in children. And the result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, leads both to “psychosocial problems and to cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes.”

January 14, 2011
Walgreens, Take Care offer free blood pressure testing

Walgreens has announced that it is offering free blood pressure testing through Jan. 16 at all Walgreens pharmacies and Take Care Clinics nationwide, as announced Thursday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens has announced that it is offering free blood pressure testing through Jan. 16 at all Walgreens pharmacies and Take Care Clinics nationwide, as announced Thursday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

January 7, 2011
Long-term savings for health care cannot be ignored

Almost $8,000 a year in healthcare savings, per patient. That’s how much patients with congestive heart failure could save the U.S. healthcare system simply by taking their medications as prescribed, an exhaustive, three-year study by CVS Caremark concluded.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — Almost $8,000 a year in healthcare savings, per patient. That’s how much patients with congestive heart failure could save the U.S. healthcare system simply by taking their medications as prescribed, an exhaustive, three-year study by CVS Caremark concluded.

(THE NEWS: Adherence among chronic disease patients can lead to big savings. For the full story, click here)

January 6, 2011
Adherence among chronic disease patients can lead to big savings

Patients with one or more out of four chronic diseases studied who take their medications as prescribed may save the healthcare system as much as $7,800 per patient annually, according to findings of a new CVS Caremark study analyzing annual pharmacy and medical costs over a three-year period.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Patients with one or more out of four chronic diseases studied who take their medications as prescribed may save the healthcare system as much as $7,800 per patient annually, according to findings of a new CVS Caremark study analyzing annual pharmacy and medical costs over a three-year period.

December 28, 2010
Report: More than a quarter of U.S. kids take at least one chronic med

Health professionals worry that little is known about the long-term effects of many drugs — which have been tested extensively on adult-patient populations — on children.

NEW YORK — More than 25% of children and teens take at least one medication on a daily basis, and nearly 7% are on two or more drugs, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing 2009 data from Medco Health Solutions. Drawing additional data from IMS Health, the article noted that prescriptions for hypertension in people under the age of 20 years could reach 5.5 million for 2010 by the time year-end results are tabulated, which would mark a rise of 17% since 2007. 

December 23, 2010
FDA approves Novartis drug for high blood pressure treatment

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Novartis Pharmaceuticals’ Amturnide (aliskiren, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide) tablets for the treatment of high blood pressure, according to the pharma company.

EAST HANOVER, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Novartis Pharmaceuticals’ Amturnide (aliskiren, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide) tablets for the treatment of high blood pressure, according to the pharma company. 

Amturnide combines the only approved direct rennin inhibitor worldwide, Tekturna (aliskiren), with the widely used calcium channel blocker amlodipine and the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).

November 22, 2010
Omron teams up with AHA to promote heart health

Blood pressure monitor manufacturer Omron Healthcare is working with the American Heart Association to promote heart health ...

BANNOCKBURN, Ill. Blood pressure monitor manufacturer Omron Healthcare is working with the American Heart Association to promote heart health, Omron announced.

Under the partnership, Omron is supporting the AHA’s campaign to educate healthcare providers on treatments for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, with the goal of reaching 50,000 providers by 2013.

November 3, 2010
Grapes, grape-based products may boost heart health

Two scientific papers published in Nutrition Reviews and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition addressed...

CONCORD, Mass. Two scientific papers published in Nutrition Reviews and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition addressed a link between heart health and a diet that includes grapes or grape-based products.

September 27, 2010
Decision Resources: Generic competition will crush hypertension drug market

The market for hypertension drugs will drop by $3 billion by the end of the...

BURLINGTON, Mass. The market for hypertension drugs will drop by $3 billion by the end of the decade due to generic competition, according to a new report by healthcare market research firm Decision Resources.

The report, announced Tuesday, found that the market for drugs to treat high blood pressure would decline from 2009’s $26 billion to $23 billion by 2019 in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain and Japan.