By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Doctors have been warning people for the past few years about the dangers of a condition known as pre-hypertension. But a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan shows deadly heart disease could be prevented with early drug treatment.
Since 2003, researchers have known that a blood pressure level as low as 120 over 80 is too high. The standard approach, until now, was to work on controlling risk factors, such as weight, exercise and salt intake to fend off true hypertension. But the new rigorous, four year study shows starting drug treatment early could prevent or at least postpone blood pressures from reaching 140 over 90 or higher.
Dr. Joanne Cobler is a Buffalo cardiologist and spokesperson for the local American Heart Association. She explains that it's not just about the numbers.
"It looks like it will be a benefit in terms of changes which occur in the arteries. When your blood pressure is mildly elevated, and then becomes very elevated, the arteries change," Cobler said.
Participants in the study who received drug treatment had a nearly 16 percent lower risk of developing hypertension. Cobler says additional studies will be needed to bear out the initial findings, as well as to weigh the benefits and risks of early drug treatment. But she says this could become the new standard of care for keeping heart disease at bay.
"The doctor may decide to treat them at some point, especially if they have other cardiovascular risks," Cobler said. "They really need to be attuned to knowing their numbers. They want to know exactly what their blood pressure is."
Cobler says patients who are not sure -- or already know they have pre-hypertension -- should follow up with their doctor to decide appropriate treatment.