When people go to the hospital for reasons not related to the heart, their blood pressure can sometimes rise. This might be because they are in pain, feeling stressed, or reacting to new medications.
While high blood pressure can lead to serious problems like heart attacks, sometimes it goes up for a short time without causing any real harm.
This kind of temporary increase is called “asymptomatic hypertension.” Even though it doesn’t cause problems right away, some doctors still give medicine to lower it.
Doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center studied older adults in the hospital to find out what happens when they get strong blood pressure medicine.
They discovered that giving these medications to patients who weren’t in the hospital for heart-related problems might actually be harmful, especially when the medicine is given through a drip instead of as a pill.
In the study, doctors looked at more than 66,000 older patients. About one in five of these patients were given strong blood pressure medicine they hadn’t been taking before. Around 18% of those received the medicine through a drip.
The results were concerning. Patients who got the medicine had more health issues than those who didn’t. They experienced more heart problems, kidney problems, and some even had to be moved to the intensive care unit (ICU). Those who got the medicine through a drip had even greater risks.
Dr. Timothy Anderson, who led the study, explained that quickly lowering blood pressure in the hospital might not always be helpful—and could even be dangerous.
He said that doctors should think carefully before giving strong blood pressure medicine, especially through an IV drip. Until more research is available, Anderson suggests being cautious with treatment.
He also raised a bigger question: Why are we checking blood pressure so often in the hospital? Maybe it’s time to rethink the way we handle it. Giving strong medicine to lower blood pressure when it’s not truly needed should be rare.
In short, just because someone’s blood pressure goes up while they’re in the hospital doesn’t always mean it’s a medical emergency. And trying to fix it right away might cause more harm than good. Doctors should make sure they are treating patients in a way that truly helps them.
If you’re interested in kidney health, check out recent studies on drug combinations that may help treat kidney failure and findings that certain vegetables might protect your kidneys.
For more on blood pressure control, read about teas that could help reduce high blood pressure and studies showing that some recommended blood pressure drugs might have serious side effects.
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.
The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
