A new study published in JAMA has found that a common blood pressure medication may raise the risk of serious bleeding in people who have atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat.
Atrial fibrillation, often called AFib, can cause dangerous blood clots and increase the risk of stroke if not treated properly. To help prevent these problems, doctors usually prescribe medicines that thin the blood and control the heart’s rhythm.
But how safe and effective these medicines are can depend on how each person’s body processes them. Some people’s bodies handle drugs differently because of their genetic makeup, which can lead to unexpected side effects when they take several medications at once.
Dr. Eli Zimmerman, a professor at Northwestern University and one of the authors of the study, explained that understanding how different people’s bodies respond to medications is very important, especially when managing complicated conditions like AFib. If we don’t consider these differences, patients may end up facing serious risks without realizing it.
The study looked at older adults, all 65 years and older, who were on Medicare. These patients started taking two types of blood-thinning medications — apixaban or rivaroxaban — along with either diltiazem or metoprolol, two drugs that help slow the heart rate. Researchers tracked patients who began these treatments between 2012 and 2020.
The results showed that patients who took diltiazem were about 20% more likely to be hospitalized or even die because of bleeding problems, compared to those who took metoprolol. However, when looking at other problems like strokes, blood clots, or other types of bleeding, the researchers did not find major differences between the two groups.
This suggests an important warning: even though diltiazem can help some patients control their heart rate, it might also increase the risk of serious bleeding when used with certain blood thinners. This could happen because of the way the drugs interact inside the body, making it harder for some people’s systems to safely handle both medications at the same time.
The study highlights the need for more careful and personalized treatment plans. Dr. Zimmerman and his team want to dig deeper into why some people are more affected than others.
They are interested in finding out if keeping a closer eye on drug levels in the blood could help reduce the risk of bleeding. If successful, this approach could make it safer to treat atrial fibrillation, especially in older adults who are more vulnerable.
Taking care of blood pressure and heart health is about more than just taking the right medicine. It also involves understanding how different habits and foods affect the body.
For example, people with very high blood pressure should think about cutting back on coffee. Other studies have found that eating earlier in the day, a method called early time-restricted eating, might help lower blood pressure. Plant-based diets have also been shown to be helpful for people with high blood pressure.
In short, this new study gives us a clearer picture of how complex treating heart problems can be. Medicines that seem helpful might also carry hidden risks.
Doctors may need to pay closer attention to how each patient’s body reacts to treatments, and patients themselves should stay informed and talk with their doctors about the safest options. The full findings of this important study are available in JAMA.
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.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
