HealthDay reporter
MONDAY, Nov. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Nearly 1 in 5 people with hypertension may inadvertently take medication for another condition that causes their blood pressure to rise even higher, a new study shows.
If left untreated or untreated, high blood pressure will increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and vision problems, damaging blood vessels. Lifestyle changes such as weight loss, limiting salt and / or medication intake can help bring your blood pressure back to normal. But asking your doctor if some medications you are taking for other conditions may increase these numbers is worth the effort, the researchers said.
“The risk of [drugs] The increase in blood pressure can simply be ignored, especially for patients who have been using these supplemental medications for many years, “said study author Dr. Timothy Anderson. He is a clinical researcher and medical assistant at Harvard Medical School in Boston. .
“We hope our article will help change this, as in many cases there are effective therapeutic alternatives to drugs that can raise blood pressure or strategies to minimize risk, such as patients monitoring their blood pressure at home when they start a new drug that can raise blood pressure, ”Anderson said.
For the study, the researchers reviewed data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2018. They looked at the use of drugs known to raise blood pressure, including antidepressants, non-steroidal prescription anti-inflammatory drugs. drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, hormonal drugs, decongestants and diet pills for people with high blood pressure.
The study found that 18.5% of adults with high blood pressure reported taking drugs that raised their blood pressure, and those who did were more likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure if they did not take medications for high blood pressure. lowering blood pressure.
And people who have taken blood pressure medications are more likely to need higher doses to control their blood pressure if they are also taking medications for other conditions that raise blood pressure, the study shows.
What should you do if you have high blood pressure?
Ask your doctor if any of your medications will affect your numbers, Anderson suggested.
“It is always wise to ask your doctor about possible interactions between new drugs [including over-the-counter medicines] and existing conditions and treatments, “he said.” This is especially true for patients who visit several doctors, who may not always be up to date on their drug lists. “
Sometimes there are alternatives, Anderson said. For example, acetaminophen does not raise blood pressure, but NSAIDs do. Both drugs can relieve pain and reduce fever.
The new findings were recently published in the journal JAMA internal diseases.
Dr. Michael Goifman is Head of Cardiology at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills in New York City. He understands how such things can happen inadvertently.
“Different doctors and specialists do not necessarily talk to each other and often their electronic health records do not communicate with each other,” said Goifman, who was not part of the study. “As a result, patients can be placed on many drugs from different providers, some of which are counterproductive to specific medical problems.”
There are ways to prevent these scenarios. “Always carry the most up-to-date list of medications every time you see a doctor,” Goifman recommends.
Dr. George Bakris, director of the American Heart Association’s Center for Overall Hypertension in Chicago, also reviewed the findings and agreed. “I would urge patients who are prescribed drugs that are known to raise blood pressure to check their blood pressure at home in a few days,” he said.
If your blood pressure is high, contact your doctor to find out what to do next, Bakris advises.
More info
Learn more about how to manage high blood pressure at the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Timothy Anderson, PhD, clinician, researcher, assistant, medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Michael Goifman, MD, Head, Cardiology, Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, New York; George Bacris, MD, professor, medicine and director of the Center for Comprehensive Hypertension of the American Heart Association, University of Chicago School of Medicine; JAMA internal diseases, November 22, 2021