Help Prevent Heart Attacks In People With High Blood Pressure (NAPSA)—If you have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, there is a way to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce your risk of a heart attack. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new usefor Caduet’ (amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium). Caduet combines two drugs—Lipitor’ (atorvastatin calcium) and Norvasc’ (amlodipine besylate). Norvasc is used to lower blood pressure. Lipitor, along with diet and exercise, lowers cholesterol and the risk of heart attacks. Caduet, because of the Lipitor component, can now be used to help reduce the risk of heart attack in patients who have high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease. Caduet offers three benefits. It lowers blood pressure, lowers blood cho- lesterol, and reduces the risk of heart attack. “What we’ve learned from a majorclinical trial is that people with high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease are helped when Lipitor is added to their blood pressure treatment,” said Roy C. Blank, MD, Internist, Presbyterian Healthcare Associates of Monroe, N.C. “It helps even if they don’t have high cholesterol. Caduet, because of Lipitor, can reduce the risk of heart attacks and help prevent heart disease.” More than 47 million Ameri- cans live with high blood pressure. And about 105 million have high cholesterol. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are the leading causes of heart attack. How do they affect your heart? Blood pressure is the force of blood on the vessel walls. High blood pressure makes your heart work harder. Cholesterol is a type of fat found in the body. It can build up in the vessels that move blood to and from the heart. Too much of this buildup can block the flow of blood. Caduet treats high blood pressure and high cholesterol in onepill. & ETT A new drug can lower blood pressure and help prevent heart disease. Caduet is a prescription drug for adults. It treats high blood pressure (hypertension), angina (chest pain), and high cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart attack. It should be used with diet and exercise. Caduet is not for everyone. It is not for those with liver problems. And it is not for women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. The most common side effects are edema, headache, and dizziness. They tend to be mild and often go away. Patients should talk to their doctor about all the medicines they take. This may help avoid drug interactions. Doctors may do blood tests to check liver function before and during treatment. Patients treated with Caduet should tell their doctor if they feel any new muscle pain or weakness. This could be a sign of serious side effects. “We know that people with high blood pressure can benefit from Lipitor. So, Caduet, which combines Lipitor with a blood pressure treatment, makesa lot of sense,” said Roy C. Blank, MD. “Caduet treats both risk factors and helps prevent heart disease.” To find out if Caduet can help you, talk to your doctor. For full product information and to learn more about Caduet, please visit www.caduet.com or call 1-888-3CADUET. tn205a56c
