High blood pressure is a major health issue, affecting millions of adults in the United States. It’s a big concern because it can lead to heart disease and stroke, two of the top causes of death.
People with high blood pressure often take medicine to help control it. However, a recent study from Imperial College London has discovered that one type of blood pressure medicine might have a surprising side effect.
The medicine in question is called a calcium-channel blocker. It’s one of the three main types of medicine doctors usually prescribe to treat high blood pressure. The others are ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers.
These medicines are important because they help lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Doctors also recommend lifestyle changes like eating healthy and exercising to manage high blood pressure.
The researchers wanted to understand how effective these medicines are and what side effects they might have.
Usually, finding this out is hard because it needs long and expensive studies. So, the team tried a different approach. They used genetic information to study the effects of the drugs.
They looked at the genes related to proteins that these medicines target. These proteins are important because they help lower blood pressure.
The researchers studied the genetic data of about 750,000 people to see if certain gene variants related to these proteins could affect the risk of other diseases.
The good news was that these genetic variants linked to lowering blood pressure also reduced the risk of heart disease and stroke. But, when the team looked at around 900 different diseases, they found something unexpected.
They discovered that gene variants similar to the effects of a specific type of calcium-channel blocker (the non-dihydropyridine class) were connected to a higher chance of getting a bowel problem called diverticulosis.
Diverticulosis happens when small bulges or pouches form in the lining of the intestine. It’s a common problem, especially in older people. Sometimes, it can lead to serious health issues if these pouches get infected or burst.
The link between this type of blood pressure medicine and diverticulosis was a new discovery. The researchers think it might be because the medicine affects how the muscles in the intestine work. These muscles contract to move food through the gut.
This finding is important because it helps us understand the risks of taking certain blood pressure medicines.
It doesn’t mean people should stop taking their medicine, but it does mean that doctors and patients should be aware of the potential risks. As always, it’s important to talk to your doctor about any concerns with your medicines.
If you’re interested in blood pressure and health, there are also studies about how cannabis might help lower blood pressure in older people and how a common plant nutrient could reduce high blood pressure.
This study was led by Dr. Dipender Gill and his team at Imperial College London and published in the journal Circulation.
It shows us that even medicines that are really helpful can sometimes have side effects we didn’t expect. Knowing about these side effects helps doctors and patients make better choices about treating high blood pressure.
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 © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
