High blood pressure, or hypertension, is when the pressure of blood pushing against your blood vessel walls is too high.
This isn’t good for your health and can cause severe problems like heart attacks and strokes. But there’s some hopeful news for people dealing with high blood pressure.
Dr. Nelson Wang and his team from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, have found a new way to tackle this issue. They shared their discoveries in a study published in the journal JAMA Cardiology on April 26.
Dr. Wang’s team was curious to see if using a mix of different blood pressure medicines in small doses could work better than just one medicine.
This mix of medicines is called “low-dose combination” or LDC for short. They looked closely at past experiments done by other scientists to understand this better.
They checked data from seven different studies, which included 1,918 patients. In some of these studies, patients got three different medicines mixed together, while in others, they got four.
This LDC approach was compared to just using one medicine, the usual treatment, or a fake medicine (placebo).
The results were quite promising. People taking LDC medicines saw their blood pressure go down more than those who took just one medicine or a placebo. This drop in blood pressure happened in about 4 to 12 weeks after they started the LDC medicines.
More people who took LDC reached a healthy blood pressure level (below 140/90 mm Hg) compared to those on single medicines or placebo. Specifically, 66 out of 100 people taking LDC reached a good blood pressure level, while only 46 out of 100 did so with just one medicine.
What’s more, in studies that went on for six to twelve months, the LDC method continued to be more effective than single medicines. Although some people felt dizzy as a side effect, there were no serious problems, and people didn’t stop taking the LDC medicines.
Dr. Wang’s team thinks that LDC medicines could help 70 out of 100 people get their blood pressure under control. They’re planning more research to make these results even better and make sure the medicines are comfortable for patients.
However, it’s worth noting that some of the scientists working on this study have connections to drug companies and have applied for patents related to this idea.
This kind of financial link is common in medical research, but it’s something to keep in mind when looking at the study results.
In conclusion, this study is a big step forward in treating high blood pressure. Dr. Wang and his team’s work with LDC medicines offers new possibilities for people with hypertension.
Looking ahead, this study opens the door for more research to better manage blood pressure and improve the health of those affected by this common condition.
In addition to this study, it’s interesting to look at other recent research, like how black licorice might affect blood pressure and how plant pigments could help lower it.
This study in JAMA Cardiology is definitely a key advancement in understanding and treating high blood pressure.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that black licorice could cause dangerous high blood pressure, and this common plant nutrient could help reduce high blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about how coffee influence your risk of high blood pressure, and results showing this olive oil could reduce blood pressure in healthy people.
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