Cheap hypertension drug works best
An old-fashioned pill for preventing high blood pressure and some heart disease appears to work better than newer, more expensive drugs, according to the most recent research. In a 5-year study at 623 health centers, physicians compared the older drug, the diuretic chlorthalidone, with the drugs amlodipine and lisinopril.
Until now, researchers hadn’t tested either of the newer drug types against a diuretic, which costs about 10 cents per pill. Amlodipine is a calcium-channel-blocker and lisinopril works by inhibiting a blood-pressure-related enzyme. These drugs range in price from 50 cents to $1.50 per pill.