High blood pressure is a serious health problem that affects around 1 in 10 adults worldwide. It is often called the “silent killer” because most people don’t feel any symptoms.
But if it’s not treated, it can lead to dangerous problems like heart attacks, strokes, and kidney damage. That’s why millions of people take blood pressure medications to control it.
These medicines include drugs called ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers. They work by helping your blood vessels relax, making it easier for your heart to pump blood. Some people also make lifestyle changes like eating less salt, exercising, and losing weight to help lower their blood pressure.
Like all medicines, blood pressure drugs can have side effects. Common ones are dizziness, feeling tired, and headaches. But a new study suggests there might be a link between one type of these drugs and problems with digestion.
Researchers from Imperial College London wanted to learn more about how these medicines might affect other parts of the body. Instead of testing the drugs directly, they used a special method. They studied people’s genes to see how certain genetic changes (called variants) could imitate the way the drugs work.
They looked at health data from about 750,000 people. By finding gene variants that act like the medications, they could guess what effects the drugs might have. This way, they could spot possible risks without giving people the drugs.
The team found a possible link between one group of calcium channel blockers, called non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, and bowel problems. These medicines may affect the muscles in your gut that move food along, which could lead to issues like constipation or stomach pain.
Even though this finding is interesting, doctors are not telling people to stop taking these medications. The study does not prove that the drugs definitely cause bowel problems. It just shows a possible connection that needs more research.
People who take these medications should not make changes without talking to their doctor. Stopping blood pressure medicine suddenly can be dangerous. The risks of not treating high blood pressure are much higher than the possible side effects found in this study.
This research is important because it helps us understand how medicines affect the body in many ways. It also shows how using genetic information might help us find safer and more effective treatments in the future.
Scientists hope that one day, doctors can use a person’s genes to choose the best medication with the fewest side effects. This idea is called personalized medicine.
In short, this study opens the door to more research on how blood pressure medications affect the digestive system. But for now, patients should keep taking their medicine as prescribed and talk to their healthcare provider if they have concerns.
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.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
