Treat people with blood pressure readings with antihypertensive drugs prehypertensive reduces the risk of stroke, but it comes at the expense of more side effects, meta-analysis shows.
In a pooled analysis of the experiment, antihypertensive therapy 16 lowers risk of stroke incidence by relative 22% versus placebo in patients with baseline blood pressure of 120-139/80 89 mm Hg (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.86 71″) by Ilke Sipahi, M.D., of University hospitals case Medical Center in Cleveland, and colleagues.
But, although the reports are not consistent between trials, the treatment of active is also associated with losses that may be, with a higher degree of hyperkalemia, kidney failure, hypotension and edema peripheral, the researchers reported online in the Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The guidelines do not currently recommend using drugs to reduce blood pressure in patients with prehypertension, which can occur in up to 40% of people depending on age, sex, and ethnic population, Sipahi and colleagues wrote.
They said that the decision to use that should patients antihypertensives include consideration of the initial and maintenance costs of dealing with potential side effects.