High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major health issue in the United States.
It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are two of the leading causes of death in the country.
Millions of adults live with high blood pressure, and many struggle to keep it under control. Treatment often involves taking several medications every day, especially for older adults.
However, taking too many drugs can sometimes lead to side effects or interactions, especially in people over the age of 80.
A recent study from the University of Oxford explored whether some older adults could safely take fewer blood pressure medications without losing control of their blood pressure.
The goal was to see if reducing medication would keep blood pressure at a safe level while avoiding serious side effects.
In the study, researchers focused on patients aged 80 and older who were already being treated for high blood pressure. On average, each patient was taking two medications to manage their condition.
The researchers divided 569 patients into two groups. One group continued with their usual care and medication routine. The other group had one blood pressure medicine removed.
After 12 weeks, both groups had similar results. About 87% of patients in each group maintained a systolic blood pressure below 150 mm Hg, which is generally considered acceptable for older adults. This means that most patients who had their medication reduced still kept their blood pressure under control.
The difference in blood pressure between the two groups was small. The group with reduced medication had a slightly higher systolic blood pressure—just 3.4 mm Hg more than the group that stayed on all their drugs. This small increase did not appear to be dangerous.
Most importantly, serious side effects were rare. Only 12 people in the reduced-medication group and 7 people in the usual-care group experienced serious health problems during the study period. This suggests that, for many older adults, cutting back on medication does not lead to a major increase in health risks over the short term.
In two out of three patients in the reduced-medication group, the lower number of drugs was still enough to manage their blood pressure even after 12 weeks.
This study, led by Dr. James P. Sheppard and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, offers helpful news for older adults and their doctors. It suggests that carefully reducing blood pressure medication may be safe for some elderly patients, especially if their blood pressure has been stable and well-controlled.
However, it’s important to note that this approach won’t be right for everyone. Any changes to medication should always be done under a doctor’s supervision, with close monitoring to make sure blood pressure stays in a healthy range.
For some older adults, fewer medications might mean fewer side effects and an improved quality of life—without losing the benefits of blood pressure control.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more health information, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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