Researchers at Geisinger Medical Center did a big study about medicines for high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is like having too much pressure in your water pipes. It can be bad for your heart and blood vessels. The study looked at two types of medicines to see which one is better for people just starting treatment.
The first type is called ACE inhibitors. Imagine these as tiny helpers that stop a special enzyme in your body from working too hard, which can make your blood vessels tight.
By stopping this enzyme, these helpers keep your blood vessels relaxed and wide, lowering your blood pressure.
The second type is ARBs. These work differently. They block a spot where a chemical named angiotensin likes to sit.
Angiotensin normally makes blood vessels narrow. By blocking its spot, ARBs stop it from doing this, so your blood vessels stay more open and relaxed.
Now, here’s the interesting part. The study found that both these medicines work just as well for lowering blood pressure.
But the cool thing is that ARBs might be better because they don’t cause as many side effects. Side effects are like unwanted guests at a party – you don’t really want them there.
Doctors usually give people ACE inhibitors more often than ARBs when they start treating high blood pressure. But this study might make them think again.
To find this out, the researchers looked at health records and insurance claims from almost 3 million patients in the United States, Germany, and South Korea.
These patients were all starting their high blood pressure treatment for the first time and didn’t have any heart disease or stroke.
The study team said that when doctors pick a medicine for high blood pressure, there are many choices. This research could help them and their patients decide which medicine to start with. It’s like choosing the best tool for a job.
In 2017, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology made some guidelines.
They said the best medicines for high blood pressure are like a team: thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and calcium channel blockers. All of them have been shown to protect the heart and prevent problems like heart attacks.
Besides medicine, doing things like exercising and eating healthy are super important. They’re like natural medicines for your heart and blood pressure.
The researchers also mentioned that ARBs and ACE inhibitors are equally good at doing their job. But, ARBs might be nicer to your body because they don’t bring as many side effects.
Still, they said that this might not be true for everyone, especially those who have been on ACE inhibitors for a long time or are taking other medicines.
To keep your heart happy and healthy, it’s good to read up on things that affect it, like why high blood pressure happens, how to avoid heart attacks, and what foods are best for your heart.
And remember, this study was done by RuiJun Chen and friends and was published in a journal named Hypertension. It’s like a guidebook for understanding and choosing the right medicine for high blood pressure.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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