A new study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has raised concerns about how high blood pressure is treated in older adults who are hospitalized for problems not related to the heart.
Usually, high blood pressure is seen as a serious warning sign that needs to be treated quickly to prevent heart attacks or strokes. But this new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests that being too aggressive in treating blood pressure in these patients may actually cause more harm than good.
The researchers looked at the medical records of over 66,000 older adults who were admitted to hospitals for non-heart-related issues. They focused on the blood pressure treatments given during the first 48 hours after admission. The information came from the Veterans Health Administration.
What they found was surprising. Around 20% of the patients received stronger blood pressure treatments in the hospital than what they were used to taking at home. About 18% of those treatments included intravenous (IV) medicine, which works very quickly to lower blood pressure.
Patients who got these stronger treatments were more likely to suffer serious side effects. These included heart damage, kidney problems, and the need to be moved to the intensive care unit (ICU). The risks were even higher in those who received IV medications.
Dr. Timothy S. Anderson, the lead author of the study, explained that many things—like pain, stress, fever, or new medications—can cause temporary increases in blood pressure during a hospital stay.
He warned that treating these temporary spikes too aggressively, especially when the patient doesn’t have any symptoms, might actually do more harm than good.
Dr. Anderson advised doctors to be careful. He said that unless a patient clearly needs it, strong treatments—especially IV medications—should be avoided. More research is needed before making changes to treatment guidelines, but for now, doctors should think twice before aggressively treating high blood pressure in patients without heart problems.
This study shows that doctors should take a more personalized and careful approach to blood pressure treatment in hospitals. Not every high reading needs quick action, especially in older adults with no heart-related symptoms.
In healthcare, giving more treatment doesn’t always mean better results. Sometimes, understanding what’s really causing a problem is more important than just trying to fix the numbers on a screen. This research reminds us that treating patients with care, caution, and understanding can lead to better outcomes.
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.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
