Open AccessClass‐Effect With Antihypertensive Medications: Pharmacologic Considerations
Author(s) -
Sica Domenic A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the journal of clinical hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1751-7176
pISSN - 1524-6175
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-7176.2009.00226.x
Subject(s) - medicine , dosing , drug class , pharmacology , drug , blood pressure , equivalence (formal languages) , food and drug administration , clinical trial , intensive care medicine , linguistics , philosophy
Class effect is easy to conceptualize when the change in blood pressure (BP) as a primary end point has been determined and dose equivalence has been established. Class effect is an indistinct term if non‐BP end points are being assessed and unconventional dosing, either dose amount or dose frequency, occurs. With different classes of drugs, such as diuretics, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, or angiotensin receptor blockers, determining dose equivalence from outcomes trials is confused by varying differences in dosing frequencies and titration requirements. If 3 or more drugs in a class show clinical effects as a result of large outcome studies, the Food and Drug Administration may consider this as being evidence for a class effect; however, labeling issues would have to be resolved. Therefore, if a compound is being proposed for therapeutic substitution within a class, clinicians should have familiarity with the compound before administering/prescribing it.