(Science Daily News) — “Our findings suggest that physicians should use renin levels to predict the most appropriate first drug for treating patients with hypertension,” says lead author Michael Alderman, M.D., professor of epidemiology & population health and of medicine at Einstein. “This would increase the likelihood of achieving blood pressure control and reduce the need for patients to take additional antihypertensive medications.”
The study involved 945 patients who were enrolled in a workplace antihypertensive treatment program in New York City from 1981 to 1998. All had a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of at least 140 mmHg. SBP, the top number in the blood pressure reading, represents the amount of force that blood exerts on the walls of blood vessels when the heart contracts. No patients were receiving treatment for high blood pressure before enrolling in the study.
The patients were given a single antihypertensive medication, either a diuretic or a calcium channel blocker (so-called “V” drugs, which lower blood volume) or a beta blocker or an ACE inhibitor (“R” drugs, which lower levels of renin, an enzyme secreted by the kidneys that plays a key role in maintaining blood pressure).
Plasma renin activity (PRA) and SBP were measured at enrollment, and SBP was measured again after one to three months of treatment. The renin level predicted those patients who were most likely to have a favorable response with either an R or a V drug. In addition, for both R and V drugs, the renin test was able to identify those patients most likely to experience a “pressor response” — a clinically significant increase in SBP of 10 mmHg or more.
(8 votes, average: 4.63 out of 5)
Loading ...
Loading ...
I started on DASH about 47 mos ago. As well, engaged other strict-adherence dietary wisdom. Result? Have lost 60lbs, and my ACE dosage, being at one point 40mgs a day (!) = now down to 5mgs day, sometimes less than that (per ‘cuff reads’) Do I eat differently? Heck yes. Interesting meals? Yes. Helpful: Buy stuff a few days at at time, so alway working w/ F-R-E-S-H stuffs, and buying what really interests you at that time (MY choices ‘run all over the lot’, BUT always ‘eat healthy’ orientation). Yes, occasionally go off the regimen, a tad here, a tad there. BUT NEVER an entire meal’s worth. Good hunting all!
“…says lead author Michael Alderman, M.D., professor of epidemiology & population health and of medicine at Einstein.” At Einstein WHAT…?