A new study from Columbia University has found that one of the most common drugs used to treat high blood pressure may not be the best choice for many people.
The study looked at ACE inhibitors, which are often given to people with high blood pressure. Researchers found that another type of medicine, called thiazide diuretics, may work better and cause fewer side effects.
The study was published in the journal The Lancet. It used health records from about 5 million people who had just started treatment for high blood pressure. The researchers wanted to find out which medicine helped people the most.
There are several types of drugs that doctors can use to treat high blood pressure. These include ACE inhibitors, thiazide diuretics, ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers), and calcium channel blockers.
But there hasn’t been enough strong evidence to say which one should be used first. So doctors often choose based on their own experience or expert opinion.
In this study, the researchers found that nearly half of the patients—48%—were given ACE inhibitors as their first treatment. Only 17% were given thiazide diuretics, even though the results were better for the people who took them.
Patients who took thiazide diuretics were 15% less likely to have serious heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, or heart failure. They also had fewer side effects.
On the other hand, people who took ACE inhibitors were more likely to have 19 different health problems. These included kidney issues and a dry cough, which are already known side effects of ACE inhibitors.
The researchers believe that if everyone in the study had started with thiazide diuretics instead of ACE inhibitors, around 3,100 major heart-related problems could have been avoided.
This is an important finding. Thiazide diuretics have been used for a long time and are known to be safe. They work by helping the kidneys remove extra salt and water from the body. This helps lower blood pressure.
ACE inhibitors work in a different way. They help relax the blood vessels so the heart doesn’t have to work as hard. Both types of drugs can lower blood pressure, but this study suggests thiazide diuretics might be a better first option for many people.
Dr. George Hripcsak, the lead author of the study, said doctors should rely more on real-world data when choosing a treatment. If thiazide diuretics can help more people and cause fewer problems, they should be used more often.
These results might change how doctors treat high blood pressure in the future. If doctors choose the best medicine from the start, patients may avoid serious health issues and feel better overall.
If you have high blood pressure, this is something to talk to your doctor about. A safer and more effective treatment may be available for you.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
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