Diverticulosis is a bowel condition that results in small bulges or pouches appearing in the lining of the intestine.
More common in older adults, it can sometimes lead to a medical emergency.
High blood pressure is a worldwide health issue, affecting one in ten adults, and it can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
The most common treatments for high blood pressure involve lifestyle modifications and medications.
Examining Blood Pressure Medications
A research team from Imperial College London recently studied three prevalent blood pressure medications: ACE-inhibitors, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers.
Despite millions of people using these drugs, their potential side effects aren’t fully understood.
The scientists used genetic analyses to study the drugs’ effects, examining gene versions that mimic these medications’ effects. First, they identified proteins targeted by the drugs that aid in lowering blood pressure.
Then, they analyzed genetic data from approximately 750,000 people and located genetic variants that code for these proteins.
Linking Calcium Channel Blockers to Bowel Conditions
The team looked at whether these gene variants were linked to an increased or decreased risk of other diseases, testing the risk of about 900 different diseases using data from the UK Biobank study.
They found that a particular type of calcium channel blocker, the non-dihydropyridine class, used to treat high blood pressure, was linked to an increased risk of bowel conditions.
They speculate that this connection might be due to effects on the function of intestine muscles, which contract to move food through the gut.
Caution for Patients and Doctors
However, the scientists caution that these findings shouldn’t change current blood pressure drug prescribing guidelines.
They strongly recommend that patients should not stop taking their blood pressure medication without first consulting their doctor.
The study was conducted by Dr. Dipender Gill and his team and has been published in the journal Circulation.
It’s a significant step towards understanding how commonly prescribed high blood pressure drugs may interact with the body and cause unexpected side effects.
Future research will likely focus on mitigating these potential risks while continuing to effectively manage high blood pressure.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that common painkiller can harm your blood pressure, and common high blood pressure drugs may actually raise blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure control, please see recent studies about teas that may help reduce high blood pressure, and results showing this recommended high blood pressure drug may have dangerous side effects.
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