THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 14, 1995 TAG: 9503140311
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Patients concerned about a report that certain blood pressure drugs might raise the risk of a heart attack by 60 percent should continue their medication and consult with their doctors, researchers said Monday.
The report, presented Friday at an American Heart Association meeting, prompted thousands of calls to researchers and doctors from patients taking the drugs, called calcium channel blockers.
Dr. Bruce Psaty, the report's author, said the drugs pose little risk over the short term, and patients should not stop taking them without seeing their doctors.
``The instantaneous risk to individuals is exceedingly small.'' Psaty said.
Psaty explained the numbers this way: In the course of a year, heart attacks might strike about 10 of every 1,000 people being treated for hypertension with other drugs.
His study found that the risk might rise to 16 of every 1,000 people being treated with calcium channel blockers. That's a 60 percent increase.
Nevertheless, he estimated that 6 million Americans are taking these drugs, and many are likely to take them for many years.
``If the results of our case-control study are correct, that's a lot of heart attacks that you would want to prevent,'' Psaty said.
``Doctors should review the reasons why the medication was prescribed and whether there are acceptable alternatives,'' Dr. Jeffrey A. Cutler said. MEMO: NAMES TO LOOK FOR
The generic names of the drugs are nifedipine, diltiazem and
verapamil; some brand names are Adalat, Calan, Cardizem, Dilacor,
Isoptin, Procardia and Verelan. by CNB