A new European study has found a possible link between high doses of the widely used blood pressure drug nifedipine and an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest—a condition where the heart suddenly stops beating. This serious event happens without warning and can be fatal unless immediate medical help is given.
Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the top causes of death, responsible for about half of all heart-related deaths in Europe and about one in five natural deaths overall. It can strike anyone, sometimes without any signs, though symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, or nausea may appear shortly before it happens.
When the heart stops, the person quickly loses consciousness and stops breathing. Without quick action, such as CPR or a defibrillator, survival is unlikely.
The study looked closely at two drugs that are commonly used to treat high blood pressure and chest pain: nifedipine and amlodipine. Both belong to a group of medicines that relax blood vessels to improve blood flow. They are widely used and generally thought to be safe.
Researchers in Amsterdam analyzed health data from 2,503 people who had suffered sudden cardiac arrest. These patients were compared with more than 10,000 healthy people.
The results showed that those taking a high dose of nifedipine—specifically 60 mg per day—were more likely to experience sudden cardiac arrest. In contrast, amlodipine, another drug in the same class, did not show this risk.
To double-check their findings, the research team also studied a second large group of people in Denmark. This group included more than 8,000 patients and over 40,000 healthy individuals. The Danish data confirmed what the Dutch researchers had found: high-dose nifedipine was linked to a higher chance of sudden heart stoppage.
This finding is surprising because both drugs have been in use for many years without major safety concerns. However, sudden cardiac arrest is a difficult condition to study. It happens fast and often results in death, which makes it hard to collect detailed information. Because of this, earlier studies may have missed this possible danger.
Although the new findings are serious, doctors and researchers are not suggesting that patients stop taking nifedipine on their own. Stopping blood pressure medication suddenly can be very dangerous.
Instead, experts recommend talking to a doctor about the best treatment options. For some patients, using a lower dose of nifedipine or switching to another drug like amlodipine might be a safer choice.
This study is an important reminder that even well-known and commonly used drugs should be re-evaluated as new data becomes available. Ongoing research helps make treatments safer and more effective.
In conclusion, high doses of nifedipine may raise the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Patients should not make changes to their medication without first talking to their doctor.
Together, patients and doctors can find the best approach to managing high blood pressure while minimizing any possible risks. More research is needed to fully understand this connection and to update treatment guidelines in the future.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that drinking tea could help lower blood pressure, and early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure.
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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