A recent study reported by the European Sudden Cardiac Arrest network found that a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure is linked to a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
The drug is nifedipine, and they suggest that doctors and high blood pressure patients need to use the drug more carefully.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a sudden loss of blood flow when the heart fails to effectively pump. This disease causes around half of the cardiac deaths in Europe and one in five natural deaths.
Common symptoms of this heart condition include loss of consciousness and abnormal or absent breathing. If not treated within minutes, the condition could lead to death.
Patients may also have chest pain, shortness of breath, or nausea before cardiac arrest.
In the study, the researchers tested whether two common drugs (nifedipine and amlodipine) for high blood pressure and chest pain are linked to sudden cardiac arrest.
They analyzed 2,503 patients and 10,543 healthy people from the Dutch Amsterdam Resuscitation Studies registry.
They found that high-dose (60 mg/day) of nifedipine was linked to a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest. There was no link between amlodipine and sudden cardiac arrest.
They then confirmed their findings in 8,101 patients and 40,505 controls in the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry. The findings suggest that high-dose nifedipine may increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
It may be surprising given that both drugs have been in use for many years and in many patients.
Previous research did not find this link may be because sudden cardiac arrest is very hard to study due to its rapid course.
The team says future work needs to confirm the findings before action should be taken by doctors or patients.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about how fasting may help reverse high blood pressure, and this olive oil could reduce blood pressure in healthy people.
For more information about blood pressure health, please read studies that cherry concentrate could lower blood pressure as much as drugs, and 3 grams of omega-3s a day keep high blood pressure at bay.
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