According to recent reports, about 26 million people around the world suffer from heart failure. In the United States, this is one of the most common medical conditions, with more than 5.1 million cases of sick people being registered until now.
Heart failure is a serious condition, characterized by the difficulty of the heart to pump enough blood throughout the whole body. Over time, the heart becomes weaker, and the blood supply meant to get to the rest of the organs decreases. This is how many other complications develop.
THE NEW heart failure DRUG has potential to SAVE or add years to MILLIONS OF LIVES
But, this week, good news was brought to those who are suffering from this heart disease. After a clinical research that studied 8,000 patients, a new drug was made. According to the researchers, this treatment has the ability to decrease the risk of death, as well as the number of hospital admissions due to heart diseases.
The new heart failure drug, called Entresto and created by Novartis, was just approved by the Food and Drug Administration, generating quite a lot of buzz among the members of the medical community and heart patients.
According to many declarations, the new drug, considered the first breakthrough of a new class of medicine known as angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors, is going to help saving an impressive number of lives.
HOW MUCH DOES HEALTH COST?
Even if it created a lot of enthusiasm, showing an incredible 20 percent reduction in mortality, as well as hospitalization rates, the drug also brings with it a small problem which a lot of patients might encounter.
Entresto is estimated to cost about $4,500 per year, making it unattainable for a large number of patients
It is true that for those people who have a good health insurance plan, the price of the new heart failure drug is far from being a problem. However, there are many people with partial or even inexistent coverage, and in this case, the medicine is out of the price range for them, since many of them already struggle with finding enough money to treat their condition.
Therefore, even with the approval of the new heart failure drug and the built up excitement among both doctors and patients, the fact that it will be a luxury for many people who can barely or cannot afford it remains a problem.
