Experts: Over-55s Should Take Blood Pressure Drugs
Posted May 22, 2009 11:02 AM
Everyone aged 55 and over should be taking drugs to lower their blood pressure, even if their current reading is normal, an expert said.
Publishing a review of almost 150 studies, Professor Malcolm Law said the drugs lowered the risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke, regardless of somebody's current reading.
He and colleagues published their findings from the largest review yet of clinical trials involving blood pressure drugs in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
They found most types of drugs to treat blood pressure had similar effects, cutting the risk of heart attacks and heart failure by around a quarter and the risk of stroke by about a third.
These figures were based on lowering systolic blood pressure by 10mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure by 5mm Hg.
Systolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood.
Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.
"Beyond a certain age, we're saying everyone would benefit from taking drugs that lower blood pressure," Prof Law said.
"Beyond a certain age, we all have high blood pressure and we would all benefit from lowering it.
"What we call 'normal' blood pressure is actually high, and what we call high blood pressure is actually higher."
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Source: YellowBrix, Belfast Telegraph
Comments (7)
Have something to say? Share your thoughts.
Posted May 29, 2009 3:05 PM
By that logic every woman from age of puberty to menopause should take birth control pills, unless they want to get pregnant.
In the interest of polulation control,of which I am a proponent, I love it!
Posted May 29, 2009 2:44 PM
My doctor would love to have me walk out of her office with a purse full of prescriptions if I'd allow it! This is getting way out of hand! Where does the greed of big Pharma end?!
Posted May 28, 2009 7:56 PM
Someone get me my boots! Professor Law's commentary is getting deep! What a bunch of bull excrement!
Posted May 28, 2009 6:27 PM
"Prof Law is one of the pioneers of the polypill"....just what I was thinking as I read this report!"
Posted May 28, 2009 5:46 PM
I genuinely agree with the two previous posters, here!
Any "medical expert" who recommends the taking of any drug, especially when the body is healthy, is obviously "in" with the pharmaceutical companies. It's all about money! Wake up, folks! It's time to get wise to the fact, that the FDA and the drug companies do NOT have our well being at heart!
In the past, I was prescribed a "beta-blocker-"type BP med. I was more concerned about what side effects it would cause, than how it treated my condition! Thankfully, I have since taken control of my health, and am not on ANY drugs. I feel darn good about that! Our amazing bodies were created to sustain our health, if we just eat properly, and move around!
Posted May 28, 2009 3:36 PM
Thank you for your common sense Mr. Rich. Having everyone over 55 take a chemical with the likelihood of very real side effects is insane! It is the scariest thing since my last mammogram (known to cause more breast cancer than it finds)! Just eat only whole foods, reduce your calorie intake and exercise...that'll do it and be a lot less expensive. You will be taking responsibility for your health rather than giving it over to those who will profit from your disease.
Posted May 28, 2009 3:30 PM
I can't believe that any doctor in their right mind would promote medicating everyone over 55 with blood pressure lowering drugs, whether or not the person has high blood pressure! It's obvious this doctor is getting paid a lot of money from the pharmaceutical companies to make such an irresponsible statement, and in my opinion this doctor should be stripped of his license to practice medicine. What a fraud!! Yes, and I would be happy to tell that to his face if I had the opportunity!
The claims that blood pressure lowering drugs prevent heart attacks and strokes is completely false, and in fact, in my late husband's case, actually CAUSED his heart attack and stroke!!!! Besides that, there are so many ugly side effects with these drugs that anyone who does a little research will see that they are NOT what they are cracked up to be!
I can attest also to the fact that if everyone would be more conscious about nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, they probably wouldn't need drugs. I myself went on a healthy diet and cured myself of high blood pressure, I also am the healthiest senior citizen in my group!
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