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INTEGRIS Health Participates in Global Cardiovascular Study
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June 19, 2008
Physicians Now Have Another Drug in the Arsenal to Fight Heart Disease
Thousands of patients from around the world recently participated in a clinical research study to measure the effects of ramipril, telemisartan, or a combination of the two drugs on patients with coronary heart disease or diabetes.
According to Jerry Anderson, M.D., a cardiologist at INTEGRIS Heart Hospital, INTEGRIS had quite a large number of volunteers who took part in the ONTARGET trial, which extended to Canada and Europe.
“About 50 patients took part in the study at INTEGRIS Baptist which is quite a large number for a clinical trial,” Anderson says. “The study included patients above the age of 55 with heart disease or diabetes, plus other risk factors such as high blood pressure, but with no prior indication of heart disease.”
During an initial phase and subsequent 55 month follow-up study, more than 25,000 patients were divided into three groups: those who received 10 mg of ramipril per day, those who received 80 mg of telmisartan per day, and those who received a combination of the two.
The findings of the study found that telmisartan helped to lower blood pressure slightly more so than ramipril, yet both were equally effective (when administered alone) in reducing the primary outcomes of cardiovascular death, stroke or heart attack. When administering the two drugs together, blood pressure was lowered further, but no additional benefits were discovered.
“Even though it was found that there were no great advantages to combination therapy of the two drugs, we know now that telmisartan may be a safe and effective alternative to ramipril,” says Anderson. “This extra choice of drug therapy will strengthen the course options we offer our patients when treating them for heart disease.”
The ONTARGET study online results may be found in the New England Journal of Medicine within the April 10, 2008 issue.
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INTEGRIS Health Corporate Communications
3030 N.W. Expressway
Suite 1620
Oklahoma City, 73112
(405) 951-4826 |
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