Doctors usually try to lower high blood pressure quickly, especially in hospitals, because it can lead to serious health problems like heart attacks or strokes.
But a new study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) shows that this might not always be a good idea for older adults who are in the hospital for reasons not related to the heart.
The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, looked at over 66,000 older adults who were admitted to hospitals for non-heart issues. Researchers studied their blood pressure treatments during the first two days after being admitted, using detailed records from the Veterans Health Administration.
They found that around 1 in 5 patients received stronger blood pressure treatments than they were used to taking at home. Nearly one in five of these stronger treatments included intravenous (IV) medications, which lower blood pressure very quickly.
But here’s the problem: patients who got these aggressive treatments were more likely to suffer serious side effects. These included damage to the heart, kidney problems, and needing to be moved to the intensive care unit. The risk was even higher for patients who were given IV medications.
Dr. Timothy S. Anderson, the lead researcher, explained that many things can cause blood pressure to go up temporarily while someone is in the hospital. Pain, stress, fever, anxiety, or even starting new medications can all raise blood pressure for a short time.
Treating these temporary rises too strongly and too fast—especially when the patient isn’t having any symptoms—can actually do more harm than good.
Because of this, Dr. Anderson recommends that doctors be more careful when treating high blood pressure in hospitalized older adults. He suggests that unless the patient has symptoms or is in real danger, it’s better not to use strong IV medicines just to bring blood pressure down quickly.
This study reminds us that every patient is different, and not everyone needs the same treatment. For older adults who are in the hospital for non-heart problems, a gentler and more thoughtful approach to blood pressure treatment might be safer.
It also shows that doing more is not always better in healthcare. Taking time to understand why a patient’s blood pressure is high—and not just rushing to fix it—might lead to better outcomes and fewer side effects.
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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