EXPERTS HIGHLIGHT HYPERTENSION-RELATED STROKE DEATHS

The European Society for Cardiology has launched a plan to improve rates of primary stroke in patients suffering from hypertension. Stroke typically accounts for 34% of healthcare spending in Europe, killing 1.2mn people per year.

The Society's European Petition for Stroke Prevention in Hypertension calls for the treatment of hypertension with "proven therapies," and is being supported by experts in a number of fields including neurology, cardiology, hypertension and general practice.

A recent Anglo-Swedish study has shown that the risk of stroke and heart attacks in people with high blood pressure can be halved by taking a new combination of blood pressure drugs combined with cholesterol-lowering statins. The research is good news for manufacturers of some of the world's top-selling blockbuster drugs, such as Pfizer's Lipitor. UK advisory body the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has decided to review its guidelines for hypertension as a result.