Scientists flag 2 killer blood pressure drugs
News & Trends •
according to the new study from dr. clements and colleagues certain types of medication that are used to lower blood pressure may be contributing to this mortality risk1 scientists at the intermountain medical center heart institute in salt lake city utah united states have red-flagged two blood pressure drugs that are themselves killers1 alpha blockers which include doxazosin mesylate and prazosin hydrochloride work by dilating the blood vessels. alpha-2 agonists such as methyldopa work by targeting sympathetic nervous system activity thereby reducing blood vessel constriction1 scientists said the two classes of drugs are inimical to users health and should be avoided1 lead study author dr. brian clements and team have recently presented their findings at the 2018 american college of cardiology acc scientific sessions held in orlando fl1 blood pressure is the force of blood that pushes against the wall of the arteries. and in november last year the american heart association aha and the acc set new guidelines1 now a person is considered to have hypertension if his systolic blood pressure the top number is 130 millimeters of mercury mmhg or higher and their diastolic blood pressure the bottom number is 80 mmhg or higher1 systolic blood pressure is the force of blood against the artery walls when the heart is beating while diastolic blood pressure is the force of blood when the heart is at rest or between heartbeats1 the updated guidelines mean that almost half of adults in the united states have high blood pressure which puts them at greater risk of heart attack stroke and heart disease among other health problems1 of course when it comes to treating hypertension the goal is to lower blood pressure. this may be achieved through lifestyle changes such as adopting a healthful diet and increasing physical activity medication or both1 previous research however has discovered that consistency is key for blood pressure levels. a study published in the bmj in 2016 for example associated higher variability of systolic blood pressure with a 15 percent increase in all-cause mortality1 according to medical news today scientists found that individuals with hypertension who used alpha blockers and alpha-2 agonists to control their blood pressure showed an increase in blood pressure variability which could increase mortality risk1 for their study the researchers analyzed the data of over 10500 adults with high blood pressure1 the participants had their blood pressure measured at least seven times between january 2007 and december 2011 and the type of blood pressure medication they were using was monitored1 the team used these data to assess whether certain classes of blood pressure medication were associated with variability in blood pressure levels1 the study revealed two classes of blood pressure medication that were linked to higher blood pressure variability in subjects alpha blockers and alpha-2 agonists1 based on the study results dr. clements and colleagues say that these two medications should not be used to treat hypertension1 patients should know what their blood pressure is he says and if its up and down all the time the patient should work with their physician to explore options for the best blood pressure medications that will reduce variances1 where possible the two types of medications that show an increase in variances should be avoided1 dr. clements adds that ace inhibitors angiotensin receptor blockers calcium channel blockers and thiazide diuretics may be safer treatment options for people with hypertension1 people who are on other types of blood pressure medications have an increased risk of death he adds1 however blood pressure variability is not solely down to medication dr. clements notes that the way in which blood pressure is measured can have a significant effect on readings1 for accurate blood pressure readings he recommends sitting or lying down for 15 minutes before measurements are taken. avoiding stressful situations and using a well-fitting blood pressure cuff may also help1