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Younger Adults Increasingly Treated For Heart Disease Related Conditions
Heart disease,
high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries - conditions that are
usually associated with the senior population - are creeping into young
adulthood. According to new research conducted by Medco Health Solutions,
Inc. (NYSE: MHS), prescription drug use by younger adults for heart
disease- related conditions is increasing at a rapid rate, far outpacing
older adults and offering a glimpse into the forthcoming clinical and
financial challenges facing the nation's health care system.
The analysis shows that between 2001 and 2006, the number of 20 - 44 year
olds taking prescription medications to treat high cholesterol increased 68
percent, and use of antihypertensives jumped 21 percent.
Based on this new analysis, the estimated number of 20 - 44 year olds
nationwide on lipid-lowering drugs surged from 2.5 million in 2001 to 4.2
million in 2006, while the number of people of that age taking
antihypertensives spiked from 7 million to 8.5 million in the six-year
period.
"This may be both a good news, bad news story," said Dr. Robert
Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer. "The good news is that younger
patients are taking medications that control conditions that, if left
untreated, could lead to heart attacks and strokes - indicating that
physicians are screening patients more regularly and treating these
precursors more aggressively than in the past. The bad news is that these
conditions are showing up in patients at younger ages, which could be the
result of the growing obesity epidemic and various lifestyle factors."
Not only were the increases among 20 - 44 year olds significant, but so
too were the rates of increase when compared to age groups more
traditionally associated with these categories of medications. The increase
in the number of 20 - 44 year-olds on lipid-lowering medications was 37
percent higher than it was for 45 to 64 year olds; the growth in prevalence
of those on antihypertensives was 52 percent greater. When compared with
patients 65 years or older, the increase in usage of lipid-lowering
medications was 31 percent higher in the 20 - 44 group, and among those on
antihypertensives it was more than double.
Decline Seen in Age of Patients on Drug Treatment
The analysis also found a significant shift downward in the age of
patients using these drug treatments. In 2006, half of all patients on
lipid- lowering drugs were 61 years old or younger; the median age of women
fell more sharply than men, dropping from 67 to 62 in the six-year span, as
compared to 62 to 59 for men.
The median age of those using antihypertensives declined four years
over the six-year period, with half of all patients on these drugs being 60
years or younger in 2006; again women had the greatest decline, dropping
from 65 to 60 versus men whose median age fell from 63 to 60.
"There is a history of women being under-diagnosed and under-treated
for heart conditions," said Epstein. "The fact that more women at a younger
age are receiving medication treatment for high cholesterol and
hypertension is a sign that the medical community is recognizing that heart
disease is a serious threat to women as well as men."
Heart Disease Risks
High cholesterol and high blood pressure are two of the leading risk
factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. High LDL cholesterol
can cause atherosclerosis, a narrowing and hardening of the arteries that
feed the heart and brain. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can weaken
the arterial walls and make them more prone to atherosclerosis. Both
conditions can lead to blood clots that can block blood flow and result in
a heart attack or stroke.
For some people with high cholesterol and hypertension, lifestyle
changes such as weight loss, dietary changes and exercise can control the
conditions. For others, medications may be needed. The most common
medications used to treat high cholesterol are statins. To treat
hypertension, diuretics, beta- blockers and ACE inhibitors are often
prescribed.
Medco's Specialist Pharmacists
Medco has developed an innovative approach to help improve and advance
pharmacy care through condition-specific resource centers that are staffed
with hundreds of pharmacists who receive training and certification in
specific chronic conditions and have expertise in the drugs used to treat
them. With this training and concentrated practice, Medco's specialist
pharmacists can offer deeper, more specific guidance when a medication
safety issue arises.
Medco's specialist pharmacists focus on some of the most common chronic
conditions Americans face including heart disease, high blood pressure, and
high cholesterol. Aided by advanced, integrated databases that provide
real- time prescription medication history, and medical diagnoses (when
available), specialist pharmacists can collaborate with doctors and their
patients on drug safety issues. Specialist pharmacists may also consult
with physicians to help ensure that members receive the most affordable
medications.
About Medco
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS) is the nation's leading
pharmacy benefit manager based on its 2006 total net revenues of more than
$42 billion. Medco's prescription drug benefit programs are designed to
drive down the cost of pharmacy health care for private and public
employers, health plans, labor unions and government agencies of all sizes,
and for individuals served by the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug
Program. Medco's technologically advanced mail-order pharmacies and
award-winning Internet pharmacy have been recognized for setting new
industry benchmarks for pharmacy dispensing quality. Medco serves the needs
of patients with complex conditions requiring sophisticated treatment
through its specialty pharmacy operation, which became the nation's largest
with the 2005 acquisition of Accredo Health, Incorporated. Medco is the
highest-ranked independent pharmacy benefit manager on the 2007 Fortune 500
list. On the Net: http://www.medco.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term
is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ
materially from those set forth in the statements. No forward-looking
statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from
those projected. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-
looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events,
or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be
evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our
business, particularly those mentioned in the Risk Factors section of the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Medco Health Solutions, Inc.
http://www.medco.com
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