Hypertension Drugs

'Despite extensive public and professional education and the ready availability of efficacious treatments, hypertension remains the most common and most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease in North America.' That's a quote from an article I read recently. In Britain 50 per cent of all deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease, and about 28.9 per cent of the UK population suffer from hypertension.

Well, for one thing, I don't believe the part about hypertension causing heart disease - that's just not been proved. But for now, let's focus on those 'efficacious treatments...'

I have argued for more than 30 years that lowering blood pressure with drugs is a dangerous and irrational business. The pressure is elevated for a reason; it's probably a compensatory mechanism to keep the patient going while the doctors try to figure out what the real problem is. After 75 years of research on hypertension, we STILL don't know the cause of the disease. But that hasn't stopped the medical establishment from throwing drugs at it.

You might be interested to know that researchers found 23 per cent of the patients in the recent Canadian Heart Health Survey had uncontrolled hypertension despite treatment. And most people who do respond to drug therapy often have only temporary improvement. Not to mention that, for drug research purposes, a 10 per cent reduction in pressure is considered a positive enough result to put the drug on the market - even though a drop like that is well within the placebo range.

Are the new drugs giving you more for your money?
And it doesn't seem like 'new' necessarily means 'improved' when it comes to blood pressure medications, either. According to the article I read, 'there is no evidence that the newer antihypertensive agents are more efficacious, safer, or better tolerated than thiazides [diuretics] or beta-blockers.'

Is it possible there could be an economic factor involved in the switch to the newer drugs? They are (surprise) much more expensive than the older drugs. For once, this issue is actually addressed: the author, Dr. Finlay A. McAlister, admits that there is a darker side to medicine. 'We must acknowledge the potential role of the pharmaceutical industry's promotional strategies,' he said. 'Although most clinicians would assert that they are not influenced by drug advertising, the few studies in this area suggest that commonly used marketing strategies do influence prescribing behaviour...

'The study... highlights a number of sobering realities in the contemporary management of hypertensive patients. In particular, it suggests that the changing patterns of pharmacotherapy for hypertension have resulted in increased costs without concomitant improvements in blood pressure control.'

Cost/benefit analysis of prescription drugs:Your health is coming up short
And so it goes, medicine continues to be controlled by Big Pharma - and not just in terms of hypertension, but for pretty much everything else as well. The best thing you can do is resist taking any pharmaceuticals when there are alternatives. Don't get too intimidated by the highly touted articles you read in the press about the dangers of herbs and other nutrients. The dangers are generally (not always, but more often than not) exaggerated and trivial compared to the serious side effects seen with many medications.

Action to take:

I'm not suggesting that all medications are evil or that you blindly reject them; drugs can be life-saving in certain cases. And if you're already taking a prescription drug - for hypertension or for anything else - don't abruptly stop taking it. When your body is accustomed to a substance, sudden changes can be deadly. Check with a qualified doctor to see if there's an alternative for your prescription and work with him to taper down your current dose as you make the switch. RH

Reference:
'The treatment of hypertension in Canada: Are we making progress?' Canadian Medical Association Journal 1999; 161(6): 713-714