|
|
|
|
|
|
Standard BP test may lead to wrong medication Washington: In a major research scientists have revealed that the drugs administered to help reduce blood pressure measured in the arm have different effects on the circulation near the heart. "This study demonstrates for the first time in a large clinical outcomes trial that blood pressure-lowering drugs have profoundly different effects on central aortic pressures and hemodynamics, despite a similar impact on brachial (arm) blood pressure," Bryan Williams, M.D., professor of medicine in the department of cardiovascular sciences at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, was quoted as saying. "The results of this study are clear-cut, dramatic and potentially very important. It also may explain why certain types of hypertension treatment might be more effective than others," he added. Doctors routinely take blood pressure readings using the familiar inflated arm cuff to diagnose and monitor high blood pressure. Most
studies examine the effectiveness of blood pressure-lowering drugs by
measuring the blood pressure in the arm. It's assumed that blood pressure
in the arm represents blood pressure elsewhere in the body, such as
the brain, heart, etc. "We considered the possibility that different
types of treatment might have different effects on blood pressure in
the major arteries, even though blood pressures may seem to be the same
in the arm," Williams said. The approach employs a computer program
to estimate central aortic pressure by examining the shape of the pulse
wave at the wrist. This information is then computed to generate a pulse
wave and measurements of pressures in the large arteries of the body.
"The shape of the pulse wave is influenced by the treatments we use
to lower blood pressure. The CAFI study suggests that treatment based
on amlodipine had more favorable effects on the shape of the pulse wave
and pressures in the main arteries, than treatment based on atenolol.
This was true, even though the blood pressure in the arm appeared similar.
In effect, measuring blood pressure in the arm underestimated the benefit
of amlodipine compared to atenolol. This finding has major implication
for interpreting results of clinical trials. It also suggests a mechanism
whereby certain categories of drug might be more effective than others
at reducing blood pressure in the central arteries, he said.
|
Today's Headlines TRAVEL NEWS Travel
Sites
Tourist
offices |
|
|