A recent study in Europe has found that a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure might raise the risk of sudden heart stoppage, also known as sudden cardiac arrest.
The drug is called nifedipine, and this discovery is a surprise to many doctors and patients.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a very serious condition. It happens when the heart suddenly stops beating normally and can no longer pump blood to the rest of the body. This causes the person to pass out, and without fast treatment like CPR or a defibrillator, the person can die in just a few minutes.
In Europe, sudden cardiac arrest is responsible for about half of all deaths related to the heart and about one in five natural deaths. It often strikes without warning. Some people may feel chest pain, have trouble breathing, or feel sick before it happens. But sometimes it happens with no clear signs at all.
The study looked at whether there was a link between sudden heart stoppage and two drugs that are often used to treat high blood pressure and chest pain: nifedipine and amlodipine. Both drugs have been used for many years and are taken by millions of people worldwide.
Researchers examined the health records of 2,503 people who had experienced sudden cardiac arrest. They compared these records to those of 10,543 healthy people who had not had heart problems. All the data came from a large health registry in Amsterdam.
They found that people who were taking a high dose of nifedipine—specifically 60 milligrams per day—had a higher chance of sudden cardiac arrest. On the other hand, amlodipine did not show the same risk.
To make sure their findings were correct, the researchers also looked at data from another large group in Denmark. This second group included 8,101 patients and 40,505 healthy people. The results were the same: high doses of nifedipine were linked to more cases of sudden heart stoppage.
This finding was unexpected because both nifedipine and amlodipine have been seen as safe drugs for many years. However, sudden cardiac arrest is a hard condition to study because it happens so quickly and is often deadly. That may be why earlier studies did not catch this problem.
The researchers say that more studies are needed to better understand this connection. For now, they do not recommend stopping the medication suddenly.
Instead, they suggest that doctors and patients talk about the risks and benefits of using nifedipine, especially at high doses. It may be possible to lower the dose or use a different medicine, depending on the person’s needs.
This study is a good reminder that even common and well-known medications can have hidden risks. It shows how important it is to keep studying drugs, even after they have been used for a long time.
In short, taking high doses of nifedipine might increase the risk of sudden heart stoppage. People who take this drug should speak with their doctor about what’s best for their health and whether they need to make any changes.
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