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A revolutionary study found remarkable evidence linking injuries due to falls and high blood pressure medications – raising new questions about whether the drug benefits outweigh the dangers.
The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, reports that older adults who take antihypertension medication have a greater risk of falls and serious injury, according to findings in approximately 5,000 American participants who are over the age of 70. Researchers discovered that over the three-year period of the study, antihypertension medications caused an alarming 30 to 40 percent increase in the probability of falls and severe injuries, including head trauma and hip fractures.
Dr. Mary Tinetti, study author, is the chief of geriatrics at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She expressed concern about whether the benefits of possible reduction in stroke and heart attack risks are worth the side-effect related risks that may be at least as dangerous, saying, “The question is, are we trading off the benefit in terms of stroke prevention for the increased risk in serious fall injuries? Especially since the falls may be due to the medication’s effect on fluctuations in blood pressure levels, as well as alertness.”
The research shows a specific link between mainstream blood pressure medications – those that are the most prevalently prescribed to the elderly throughout the nation — which is especially concerning as approximately 64% of men and 69% of women in that age category have high blood pressure, according to the CDC.
Beth Mansfeld, representative for VascuVite, expressed concern over the new report, saying, “Those statistics describe 3 or 4 out of every 10 people in our communities and families – that is considerable. We must be responsible and educate ourselves about the very real risks of certain medications verses the benefits they may provide. One benefit of having this information is that it may help motivate people to learn more about other alternatives that are available to lower their blood pressure — without adding to their risks.”
Those interested in learning more should visit http://vascuvite.com/resources/injury-blood-pressure-medication/. While there, readers are invited to take full advantage of the wealth of information on the company.
Release ID: 91510