The cost-effectiveness of the switch towards more expensive antihypertensive drugs.

A switch from treatment with diuretics and beta-blockers to treatment with the more expensive ACE-inhibitors and calcium-antagonists has been noted in the hypertension field. The aim of this paper was to analyse the cost-effectiveness of this switch towards more expensive antihypertensive drugs in Sweden. The upper limit of the cost-effectiveness of ACE-inhibitors and calcium-antagonists compared with diuretics and beta-blockers was estimated by assuming that ACE-inhibitors and calcium-antagonists achieve the epidemiologically expected risk reduction for coronary heart disease. The incremental cost per life-year gained varies between approximately SEK 50,000 and approximately SEK 6,000,000 ($1 = SEK 6) in the different patient groups analysed. It is concluded that ACE-inhibitors and calcium-antagonists may be potentially cost-effective in some patient groups at a high risk of coronary heart disease. Since an improved risk reduction has not been demonstrated in clinical trials, however, ACE-inhibitors and calcium-antagonists cannot at present be recommended for hypertension treatment in any patient groups unless treatment with diuretics and beta-blockers is contraindicated.