Follow-up About Hypertension Medication

As this category of medication is one of the most frequently prescribed and among the medications indicated as taken by some 60% of the population, I thought a reprint of a blog I wrote two years ago was in order.  These findings need to be kept in mind in light of the "latest" study opinion that says, "the lower, the better," when it comes to systolic blood pressure.  Although, the head of the study did admit that the side effects of drastically lowering someone's blood pressure included: fainting, dizziness, tiredness, difficulty concentrating and so on.... Is it just possible that there is such a thing as too low of a blood pressure?

Here's the reprint:

Do you really need that blood pressure medication?

New guidelines have been suggested for whom should be medicated for high blood pressure.  Researchers conducted a meta-study (looking at years of data from past studies), focusing on health outcomes for people over 60 with blood pressure readings reaching 140/85.  After reviewing all the data for relationships between cardiovascular events, strokes and death rates and the efficacy of hypertensive medications, a conclusion was reached that this type of medication made little morbidity and mortality differences for those in this age group.

Researchers concluded that people over 60 years of age received no clear benefits from hypertensive medications until they showed a systolic of 150 and diastolic of 90.  Simply put, too many people are on medications that are of no proven benefit. 

As might be expected, the National Heart Association disagrees with the results of the study and wants to conduct one of its own.  Please remember, not all studies are valid and all contain biases.  However, the conclusion about the necessity for medications for hypertension was made after looking at data that were collected over more than a decade.  Any conclusions drawn by a single study by the NHA would most likely be flawed by biases, especially since the member doctors of the NHA were so quick to criticize the conclusions.  We have to remember that 75% of all doctors in this country do have some financial connection with the pharmaceutical companies whose drugs they prescribe.  No one, that I know of, has ever even hinted that this could be considered a conflict of interest.  Perhaps, it's not.

My suggestion is for those in any age group to at least consider alternatives to taking hypertensive medication, as I know of a number of studies, done over 30 years ago, concluded that 50% of all people on hypertensive medications are not helped by them....at all.  Yet, we know of the explosion of prescription meds for high blood pressure.  Is anyone else out there confused?

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com