Friday, September 28, 2018

Cardiovascular Risk Management and Hepatitis C: Combining Drugs

Cardiovascular Risk Management and Hepatitis C: Combining Drugs
Elise J. SmoldersPeter J. G. ter HorstSharon WoltersDavid M. Burger Elise J. Smolders

Article First Online: 27 September 2018

Abstract
Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are known victims (substrate) and perpetrators (cause) of drug–drug interactions (DDIs). These DAAs are used for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and are highly effective drugs. Drugs used for cardiovascular risk management are frequently used by HCV-infected patients, whom also are treated with DAAs. Therefore, the aim of this review was to describe DDIs between cardiovascular drugs (CVDs) and DAAs. An extensive literature search was performed containing search terms for the marketed DAAs and CVDs (β-blocking agents, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II antagonists, renin inhibitors, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, statins/ezetimibe, fibrates, platelet aggregation inhibitors, vitamin K antagonists, heparins, direct Xa inhibitors, nitrates, amiodarone, and digoxin). In particular, the drug labels from the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration were used. A main finding of this review is that CVDs are mostly victims of DDIs with DAAs. Therefore, when possible, monitoring of pharmacodynamics is recommended when coadministering these drugs with DAAs. Nevertheless, it is sometimes better to discontinue a drug on a temporary basis (statins, ezetimide). The DAAs are victims of DDIs in combination with bisoprolol, carvedilol, labetalol, verapamil, and gemfibrozil. Despite there are many DDIs predicted in this review, most of these DDIs can be managed by monitoring the efficacy and toxicity of the victim drug or by switching to another CVD/DAA.

Key Points
Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) can be of major concern in hepatitis C patients with cardiovascular issues as there are many potential DDIs.

Especially clopidogrel and ticagrelor are drugs of which the potential drug-interactions are complex and hard to manage.

With increasing number of new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) available the number clinical relevant DDIs are decreasing.

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