Drugs intended to lower blood pressure actually increased blood pressure values in a significant percentage of patients, according to a study published in the August 18 online edition of the American Journal of Hypertension. The study found the highest percentage (16) occurred in people with low levels of renin, a blood-pressure regulating enzyme, who were given an antihypertensive drug.
Researchers know there's a varied response to antihypertensive treatment, and some patients will experience elevated blood pressure, said lead author Michael Alderman, MD. But a mismatch between patients' levels of renin--a hormone that regulates blood pressure--and the drugs may explain why some patients don't benefit from blood pressure medication, he noted.
Blood tests to measure renin may help doctors select the most appropriate drugs for patients. "With renin testing, you will more often get blood pressure under control with less therapy," said Alderman.
High blood pressure is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, with roughly $73 billion spent per year treating it, reports ABC News.
For the study, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University studied 945 patients who were enrolled in a workplace antihypertensive treatment program in New York City from 1981 to 1998.
For more:
- read the study
- here's the study's press release
- check out this ABC News article