Thursday, June 10, 2010

Blood Pressure Variability is a Dangerous Risk Factor

A massive study in London (ASCOT) was reported at the spring meeting of the American College of Cardiology, indicating that blood pressure that varied a lot from visit to visit was more dangerous than consistently high BP. Patients were not previously thought to be at as high risk if their BP was down to normal levels at least a good portion of the time. Not so. The risk for labile BP that goes up and down is 4X as high for strokes and 3X as high for heart attacks. Calcium channel blocking agents had the most consistently good results. Although not tested, extra magnesium might be effective as well, because of a similar mechanism of action.

See Family Practice News (click here) May 1, 2010, p. 1.

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