There are many health conditions that may increase the risks and even exacerbate symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Hypertension (high blood pressure) is one such risk factor. If you are a caregiver for a person with AD, who also has high blood pressure, you may be interested in a very recent study published by the American Heart Association.
Recent research, published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension, revealed that smaller doses of combination medications for high blood pressure may be more effective in treating hypertension than high doses of a single antihypertensive medication. In fact, researchers analyzed results of various medication from 42 drug trials with over 20,000 participants with high blood pressure.
The study included several types of medications from 5 primary classes of drugs to treat high blood pressure, including:
-ACE inhibitors-captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), and lisinopril (Prinivil)
-Angiotensin Receptor blockers-Irbesartan (Avapro), Losartan (Cozaar), and Olmesartan
-Beta blockers-Metoprolol (Lopressor), Nadolol (Corgard), & Propranolol (Inderal LA)
-Calcium channel blockers-Amlodipine (Norvasc), Diltiazem (Cardizem), & Nifedipine (Adalat CC,
Afeditab CR, Procardia)
-Thiazides-Chlorothiazide (Diuril), Chlorthalidone, and Hydrochlorothiazide
According to Anthony Rodgers, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., study author and professor at The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia, “Widespread control of blood pressure is generally low, even in high-income countries. The largest global survey of hypertension patients showed 88 percent of those aware of hypertension are treated with medications, but only one in three were able to gain control of their blood pressure.”
Study Results
The results of the study were:
-Two different antihypertensive medications (each at 1/4th dose) were just as effective at lowering blood pressure than the standard dose of a stand-alone drug.
-Single and dual dose combinations of antihypertensive medications may have fewer side effects than single dose medication regimes.
-Common side effects of antihypertensive drugs include, weakness, dizziness, insomnia, headache, muscle cramps and more.
-4 medications in combination (each at 1/4th dose) were nearly 2 times as effective at lowering blood pressure than taking just one type of medication at the usual dose.
Although the research is very promising for those with high blood pressure, more research is needed to actually change the way physicians prescribe antihypertensive medication. “This new approach to treatment needs more research before it can be recommended more widely,” Rodgers said. “The findings have not yet been tested in large long-term trials. People should not reduce the doses of their current medications.”
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