Torasemide eases the economic burden of CHF

Abstract

Today’s aging population means that an increasing number of patients worldwide are being treated for congestive heart failure (CHF), the economic impact of which is enormous. For example, the costs associated with treating CHF total $US10 billion/year in the US, 70% of which is attributable to hospitalisation costs. At PharmEcon ’97 [ Paris, France; June 1997 ], Anita Görtz, Associate Director of Health Economics at Boehringer Mannheim, Germany, presented the results of a study that compared the cost effectiveness of the 2 diuretics torasemide and furosemide in patients with CHF. The study demonstrated that the higher acquisition cost of torasemide was more than offset by a lower hospital cost and a greater improvement in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, compared with furosemide. Thus, the use of torasemide could have a positive impact on the economic burden of CHF.