European Survey Highlights the Risk to Patients Caused by Inconsistency in Hypertension Management

Munich (ots/PRNewswire) -

For distribution to the consumer and medical media across Europe
(excluding the UK)

- Findings From the Supporting Hypertension Awareness and
Research Europe-wide (SHARE) Survey Suggest the Need to Implement a
Consistent Strategy to Improve and Maintain Blood Pressure Control

Physicians' treatment approaches to hypertension management are
inconsistent[1] despite ESH-ESC (European Society of Hypertension and
European Society of Cardiology) arterial hypertension guidelines[2],
which could put patients with elevated blood pressure at risk,
according to findings published recently in the Journal of
Hypertension.[1] This inconsistency in adherence to the guidelines
amongst physicians is one of the contributing factors to the
substantial health and economic burden associated with uncontrolled
blood pressure across Europe.[1]

Hypertension causes 7.6 million premature deaths worldwide and as
many as 1 billion people may have uncontrolled hypertension
worldwide.[3,4] If left untreated, hypertension may lead to serious
cardiovascular health complications such as heart attack or
stroke.[5] Uncontrolled hypertension is therefore a significant
contributor to healthcare spending across Europe as the annual
cardiovascular health bill in the EU is in excess of EUR190
billion.[6]

The Supporting Hypertension Awareness and Research Europe-wide
(SHARE) survey sought the views of 2629 physicians from primary and
secondary care around Europe and forms part of HypertensionCare, a
commitment from Daiichi Sankyo to providing increased knowledge and
insight to physicians across Europe. The survey found 82% of
physicians believe that ESH-ESC guideline blood pressure targets of
140/90 mmHg are 'about right' or 'not tight enough'.[1]

However, findings from the survey indicated that physicians only
found cause for concern when patients average blood pressure was
149/92 mmHg, which is higher than guideline targets. Furthermore, of
those physicians surveyed, blood pressure levels needed to reach an
average of 168/100 mmHg before they felt compelled to take immediate
action. Over 90% of physicians said they would not take action until
their patients' systolic or diastolic blood pressure was higher than
the guideline recommended levels.[1]

"All patients with a blood pressure over 140/90mmHg need to be
carefully managed to bring their blood pressure down and reduce their
cardiovascular risk. By delaying treatment or settling for blood
pressure over this target, physicians are leaving patients at a
potentially higher risk of cardiovascular events," said Professor
Roland Schmieder, Professor of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and
Hypertension and Head of the Clinical Research Competence Unit of
Hypertension and Vascular Medicine at the University Hospital
Erlangen, Germany and member of the SHARE Steering Committee. "As
physicians we typically assume that a patient not reaching blood
pressure goal is down to the patient's lack of compliance or
adherence to treatment, but this survey clearly shows that as
physicians we can also do more to help all our patients reach blood
pressure goal," he continued.

Understanding the challenges of getting more hypertensive
patients to blood pressure goal is a key objective of the SHARE
survey, a collaborative initiative driven by European leaders in
hypertension with the support of Daiichi Sankyo
[http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu ]. Findings like these enable Daiichi
Sankyo [http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu ] to develop simple and
effective solutions through HypertensionCare to help physicians
tackle the day to day challenges of hypertension management. The
HypertensionCare program provides both knowledge and support
services, as well as a range of products to physicians managing
hypertension. For further information on the SHARE findings and
HypertensionCare visit http://www.hypertensioncare.eu (this website
is intended for healthcare professionals only).

References

[1] Redon, J et al. Journal of Hypertension. Physician attitudes
to blood pressure control: Finding from the Supporting Hypertension
Awareness and Research Europe-wide (SHARE) survey. Journal of
Hypertension 2011; 29; E-pub ahead of print.
DOI:10.1097/HJH.0b013e328348c934

[2] Mancia G et al. Reappraisal of European guidelines on
hypertension management: a European Society of Hypertension Task
Force document. Journal of Hypertension 2009; 27:2121-2158

[3] Lawes, C. M., Vander Hoorn, S. & Rodgers, A. Global burden of
blood-pressure-related disease, 2001. Lancet 2008; 371(9623):1513-18.

[4] Gupta et al. Compliance, Safety, and Effectiveness of
Fixed-Dose Combinations of Antihypertensive Agents. A
Meta-Analysis.Hypertension 2010; 55:399.

[5] Chalmers, J et al. 1999 World Health
Organization-International Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the
management of hypertension. Guidelines sub-committee of the World
Health Organization. Clin Exp Hypertens 1999; 21(5-6):1009-60.

[6] Allender, S et al. European cardiovascular disease
statistics, European Heart Network. Available at:
http://www.ehnheart.org/cdv-statistics.html (accessed February 2011).

About HypertensionCare

HypertensionCare is the only dedicated hypertension solution
providing healthcare professionals with a wide range of products,
services and knowledge to help them overcome the challenges of
hypertension in their daily practice. HypertensionCare includes four
medicines which provide treatment path options that help manage the
progression of hypertension. The medicines; Olmetec, Olmetec Plus,
Sevikar and Sevikar HCT, include single compounds and fixed dose
combinations and are powered by olmesartan. In addition to its
products, Daiichi Sankyo [http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu ] provides
physicians with tools and educational material to enable them to
better address the obstacles faced in reaching blood pressure target
goals. For further information visit http://www.hypertensioncare.eu
(this website is intended for healthcare professionals only).

About Daiichi Sankyo [http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu ]

The Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply
of innovative pharmaceutical products to address the diversified,
unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging markets.
While maintaining its portfolio of marketed pharmaceuticals for
hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and bacterial infections, the Group is
engaged in the development of treatments for thrombotic disorders and
focused on the discovery of novel oncology and
cardiovascular-metabolic therapies. Furthermore, the Daiichi Sankyo
Group has created a "Hybrid Business Model", which will respond to
market and customer diversity and optimize growth opportunities
across the value chain. The company's world headquarters is in Tokyo.
Its European base is located in Munich. Daiichi Sankyo
[http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu ] Europe has affiliates in 12 European
countries in addition to a global manufacturing site located in
Pfaffenhofen, Germany. For more information, please visit:
http://www.daiichisankyo.com or http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and
information about future developments in the sector, and the legal
and business conditions of Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH. Such
forward-looking statements are uncertain and are subject at all times
to the risks of change, particularly to the usual risks faced by a
global pharmaceutical company, including the impact of the prices for
products and raw materials, medication safety, changes in exchange
rates, government regulations, employee relations, taxes, political
instability and terrorism as well as the results of independent
demands and governmental inquiries that affect the affairs of the
company. All forward-looking statements contained in this release
hold true as of the date of publication. They do not represent any
guarantee of future performance. Actual events and developments could
differ materially from the forward-looking statements that are
explicitly expressed or implied in these statements. Daiichi Sankyo
Europe GmbH assumes no responsibility for the updating of such
forward-looking statements about future developments of the sector,
legal and business conditions and the company.

ots Originaltext: Daiichi Sankyo
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Contact:
Contact: Product Communications, Federico Maiardi, EuropeanProduct
PR Manager , Phone
+49-(0)89-78-08-379,federico.maiardi@daiichi-sankyo.eu. Medical &
Scientific Affairs, JorisVersteden, Director Medical and Scientific
Affairs, Phone+49(0)89-78-08-497, joris.versteden@daiichi-sankyo.eu