EXFORGE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE REALITY SERIES
John Segment
EXR-900597
MEET DR. JOHN
0:05
John:
My name is John, I live in Dallas, Texas with my wife of 30 plus years. I've been a family physician for over 30 years as has been my wife.
0:15
Dr. Wood's Wife:
Our patients are pretty separate but we have easy access to each other to compare notes.
0:20
John:
She is how old?
Both:
Fifty one.
0:26
John:
I enjoy flying in that it's just a sense of freedom
0:31
Dr. Wood's Wife:
I have to say that he washes his airplane much more carefully than he ever washes his car.
0:36
John:
I basically became a pilot at the same time as I did my medical training. I'm not sure which came first; my checklist for flying or my checklist with my patients.
John:
I'm up to about sixty knots.
John:
I also have a checklist for myself.
John:
And we are lifting off.
0:55
John:
I regularly keep an eye on my blood pressure so I was aware when my blood pressure started creeping up.
CHECKLISTS
John:
Gear coming up
Radio:
Whiskey traffic seven one four foxtrot zero
1:17
John:
When one flies, there's a standard dictum that one should use a checklist to make sure that you've not forgotten anything. I think the same thing applies when I'm looking after a patient. Go ahead and take a deep breath in and out. We want to know their present status. You need to know the past status; when a patient last had a cardiogram; when a patient last had a physical. I'll automatically take a blood pressure on a patient whether they come in for a sore throat or a hang nail.
1:44
John:
When I fly my airplanes, I don't check the plane's blood pressure but I certainly check the fuel pressure.
1:50
Dr. Wood's Wife:
As a pilot, he's super careful; checking everything properly, going through his checklist. Health is another matter but right now he's starting to go through that checklist too.
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY
2:13
John:
When I first noted my blood pressure was up, it took me a while to accept that fact. My parents did have high blood pressure. I actually have a picture of my father with high blood pressure. This is my mother with high blood pressure.
2:29
John:
They intermittently took medications for many years.
2:32
Dr. Wood's Wife:
My husband's family history is such that they are very long lived and sometimes when you have a family that's lived to be in their 80's, you almost take your own health for granted thinking; if they lived to be in their 80's, so can I.
2:46
Dr. Wood's Wife:
Doctors can have high blood pressure, doctors can have other illnesses, high blood pressure is a silent disease so it has to be revealed by checking.
2:55
John:
Blood pressure has to be measured; it is not felt.
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
3:06
John:
Over time, after taking my blood pressure in several occasions I noted my blood pressure was going up. It was difficult for me to accept the fact that I might have high blood pressure but there's that adage of practice what you preach and it was certainly time for me to go ahead and treat my own blood pressure.
3:26
Dr. Wood's Wife:
It is important to follow through with all the lifestyle changes; improved diet, reduction of stress, learning how to relax, exercise, but it isn't always easy to follow through and it's nice to know that there are medications but medications aren't everything.
3:40
John:
Originally, I took an ARB to treat my blood pressure. My blood pressure did go down somewhat but it didn't achieve that goal that I would have wanted in one of my patients, let alone myself. As a consequence, I moved on to EXFORGE, which is a combination of an ARB and a calcium channel blocker.
VO:
EXFORGE, Amlodipine and Valsartan tablets, is a prescription medication for the treatment of high blood pressure. It may be used when one medicine to lower your high blood pressure is not enough. It may also be used as the first medicine to lower high blood pressure if your doctor decides you are likely to need more than one medicine.
4:13
John:
With EXFORGE, I can take two medications simultaneously in one pill.
MORE THAN MEDICATION
4:25
John:
Well Jim
Jim:
Hey John, how ya doing?
John:
Pretty good. I'm here for my blood pressure check and I brought my lab work.
Jim:
Oh, it's good. How's your blood pressure doing?
4:34
John:
Jim Hussey is a friend that I actually see more professionally frankly.
4:38
Jim:
Looks like it's--
John:
A little bit up.
Jim:
Ah it's the end of the day maybe. How much exercise are you doing?
John:
I've been trying, I've been going early in the morning.
Jim:
Oh, that's great.
4:53
John:
I have, in the last few months, have joined a health club. Dr. Hussey has as well done the same thing. It's a little bit of competition to change my lifestyle with my friend and that was motivating.
5:06
John:
So do you generally use a treadmill or what do you do?
Jim:
Well, a treadmill at start but now I'm lifting weights too. All the patients, they - it's hard for them to lose weight if I don't lose weight.
Super:
(Ask your doctor what lifestyle modifications are right for you)
5:18
John:
I've set goals for my patients as I set goals for myself but there are many ways to treat hypertension; it's a multi-faceted issue; lifestyle change including diet and exercise as well as the medication. I'm not perfect and don't expect my patients to be perfect. In general, I ask a patient to do their best; find a diet that they can live with. I ask them to find at least 3 hours a week to some sort of exercise whether it be walking their dog, going for a walk with their spouse but it should be something they enjoy or else it does become a chore.
CHOOSING A MEDICATION FOR ME
5:55
John:
You want to take a deep breath in and out.
5:58
John:
The success of a blood pressure medication is predicated on; does it work on an individual patient? The interesting part about my job is not every blood pressure medication works for every patient.
John:
And we are lifting off.
6:19
John:
When I prescribe EXFORGE to a patient, I often tell them that I am myself am taking it. It helps patients to know that their physician is a human being as well. If I control the patient's blood pressure, then they are less likely to have heart attacks and strokes. I'm aware that EXFORGE is only approved to treat high blood pressure and is not approved to treat or prevent cardiovascular events including heart attacks or strokes.
6:44
John:
I enjoy what I do, and I'd like to continue to do this as long as possible.
A HEALTHIER FUTURE
6:58
John:
I, as a physician try to convey to my patients that this is a partnership. I would like to work with them to achieve a certain goal.
7:04
John:
We talked about diet last time and I really want to emphasize that you're gonna minimize red meat, fried foods. You don't have to turn into a bunny rabbit, just be reasonable about it.
7:14
John:
And every inch I move towards those goals, I think we're living healthier. Prior to taking EXFORGE, my blood pressure levels were high. Since being on EXFORGE, my blood pressure levels have been lower.
7:36
John:
By lowering your blood pressure, one lowers one's risk for heart attacks and strokes. Lifestyle changes and blood pressure medication that is right for me, are keys to managing my own high blood pressure. Frankly, for me, EXFORGE works.
Super:
(Individual Results May Vary)
Super & VO:
(EXFORGE is approved to treat high blood pressure, and is not approved to treat or prevent cardiovascular events including heart attacks or strokes)
-----------------------------
EXFORGE is a prescription medication for the treatment of high blood pressure. It may be used when one medicine to lower your high blood pressure is not enough. It may also be used as the first medicine to lower high blood pressure if your doctor decides you are likely to need more than one medicine.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about EXFORGE?
If you become pregnant, stop taking EXFORGE and call your doctor right away. EXFORGE can harm an unborn baby causing injury and even death. If you plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor about other treatment options to lower your blood pressure before taking EXFORGE.
Serious side effects could occur such as:
- Low blood pressure (hypotension). Lie down if you feel faint or dizzy and call your doctor right away.
- Worsening chest pain (angina) or heart attack, particularly in patients who already have severe heart disease. Get emergency help if you get worse chest pain or chest pain that does not go away.
- Kidney problems, changes in blood test results for patients with congestive heart failure, or allergic reactions. Call your doctor if you get swelling in your feet, ankles, or hands or unexplained weight gain.
Side effects are usually mild and brief. The most common side effects that occur more frequently with EXFORGE than placebo (sugar pill) are swelling of the hands, ankles, or feet; nasal congestion or sore throat, head or chest cold; and dizziness.
Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if:
- You are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
- You are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed
- You have a heart condition
- You have liver or kidney problems
- You are vomiting or having a lot of diarrhea
Tell all your doctors or dentist you are taking EXFORGE if you:
- Are going to have surgery
- Go for kidney dialysis
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take. Especially tell your doctor if you take:
- Other medicines for high blood pressure or a heart problem
- Water pills (diuretics)
- Potassium supplements
- A salt substitute
EXFORGE is approved to treat high blood pressure, and is not approved to treat or prevent cardiovascular events including heart attacks or strokes.
The EXFORGE patients, their physicians, and members of their support network are real and have been compensated for their time.
Individual Results May Vary
Please See Full Prescribing Information on this Site
Copyright 2009 Novartis Printed in U.S.A. [June 3, 2009] T-EXR-900597
