Researchers from Harvard have made a surprising discovery: nearly 1 in 5 people with high blood pressure may be taking other medications that actually make their condition worse.
These are drugs taken for different health issues, but they have the side effect of raising blood pressure. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious health problem. It can cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage, and vision problems. This happens because high blood pressure puts extra pressure on blood vessels, which can damage them over time. That’s why it’s so important to manage it carefully.
Most people with high blood pressure try to control it by eating healthy, exercising, and taking blood pressure medicine. But what many don’t know is that some drugs they take for other conditions can quietly push their blood pressure higher.
Dr. Timothy Anderson and his team at Harvard looked at health data collected in the United States between 2009 and 2018. The data came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a big study that tracks people’s health habits and medication use.
The researchers looked at several types of medications that are known to raise blood pressure:
Antidepressants: Some types used for depression and anxiety can raise blood pressure.
NSAIDs: Painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen can increase blood pressure, especially when taken regularly.
Steroids: Used for conditions like asthma and arthritis, steroids can also raise blood pressure.
Hormonal medications: Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy may affect blood pressure in some people.
Decongestants: Found in many cold and flu medicines, decongestants narrow blood vessels and raise blood pressure.
Weight-loss pills: Some can raise heart rate and blood pressure.
The study found that 18.5% of adults with high blood pressure were taking at least one of these drugs. Many of them did not have their blood pressure under control—even though they were also taking medicine meant to lower it.
In some cases, doctors had to prescribe higher doses of blood pressure medication to fight the effects of these other drugs. This shows how easily blood pressure can get out of control if people aren’t aware of how all their medications interact.
This research highlights the need for better communication between patients and doctors. People often see more than one doctor, and not every doctor knows about all the medications a patient is taking. That can lead to problems like this, where a person thinks their blood pressure is being managed, but other medicines are quietly making things worse.
The good news is that there are usually safer options. For example, people might be able to switch to painkillers that don’t affect blood pressure or use other treatments for depression or nasal congestion. Talking to a doctor about these choices can help keep blood pressure in a safe range.
This study reminds us that managing high blood pressure isn’t just about taking the right blood pressure pill. It’s also about knowing how every drug you take might affect your heart. A quick review of your medications with your doctor could help you avoid problems later.
If you have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor about all the medications you use—prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements. It could make a big difference for your health.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and eating eggs in a healthy diet may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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