Millions could go off blood pressure meds

Yahoo/AFP ^ | March 29, 2014

[kingattax]

Washington (AFP) - One in four American adults over 60 being treated for high blood pressure could go off their medication under recent guidelines issued in the United States, a study said Saturday.

The changes, which stirred controversy in the medical community, could mean nearly six million may no longer need drugs to control their blood pressure, Duke University researchers said in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The findings are the first to analyze the impact of 2014 guidelines that raised blood pressure targets to 150/90, instead of the previous goal of 140/90, in adults age 60 and older.

"Raising the target in older adults is controversial, and not all experts agree with this new recommendation," said lead author Ann Marie Navar-Boggan, a cardiology fellow at the Duke University School of Medicine.

"In this study, we wanted to determine the number of adults affected by these changes."

The guidelines were issued by the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure.

[Jane Long]

Gee. Women don’t need mammograms. People don’t need blood pressure meds. Not since Obeymecare came along. What a funny coincidence.

Yep. My doc and I were just getting a laugh out of this same coinidink, recently. His reply...."Death Panels".

[workerbee]

LOL... took me a minute... good one!

[Rembrandt]

This smells very much like a gummint plan to reduce its meds costs.

[stockpirate]

I’m 63, doctor took me off my meds when I managed to get my BP to 117/73 with an at rest heart rate of 65.....

[spokeshave]

The Half-Breed is doing all he can to have us older folks move over and make room for “his people.”

Looks like some of Holders people are happy navigators (HON).....

("his people" = Holders people = HON = Happy Obamacare Navigator)

HON....OK whitey....lets check your voter registrations ....

HON....Looks like you need to make a couple of adjustments here....and here....

OK now I see it......your colonoscopy is scheduled for next month.....and the insulin will be mailed as before...

HON Thinks...."this desk job sure beats stealing cell phones and a once a year gig patrolling voting booths with my billy club."

...and easier on the knuckles than punching out "Polar Bears"...just a few clicks of the mouse and they on tha fast track to the Liverpool Pathway....just like in the UK...where they euthanize 60,000 oldies every year.

(He also got the message about hiding the screen image of his laptop)

and note the body language of his clients..

The guy with face clenched in anguish

and the lady...red face...hand clenched across chest....and neck veins popping out.

[SierraWasp]

"Not since Obeymecare came along."

"Obeymecare!!!" I love it!!!

[catnipman]

“Some people have side effects to beta blockers such as worsening depression and reduced energy, lethargy.”

In my opinion, beta blockers are horrible drugs. Aside from what you mention above, beta blockers greatly increase your risk of diabetes, and there’s the little publicized factoid that abrupt cessation of beta blockers greatly increase your risk of sudden heart attack.

Diuretics can also be extremely nasty as they can cause drop in potassium, precipitating all kinds of muscle problems, including heart attack.

[VerySadAmerican]

I could probably get off BP meds if I’d quit watching TV, stop reading the internet and stop talking to everyone.

[flaglady47]

“bp meds cause enough bad problems on their own.”

Not me. Have been very effective with no side effects that I can ascertain. I see them as a lifesaver for anyone with high BP.

[ApplegateRanch]

Back in the 70s, when I was taking nursing classes, we were taught a guideline of age + 100, up to age 60 or 65; 90 diastolic was still the to end then.

Like eggs, butter, BMI targets, cholesterol levels, etc, the medical standards/norms/recommendation continue to fluctuate more than a half charged flux capacitor’s readings.

[Grams A]

were any of the babies named Hunter?”

Funny. Would have been appropriate but I don’t recall that that was a very common first name back then. January and February of that year were very, very cold and there were lots of babies born that October and November. Not real good planning on the women’s part because nothing ever interfered with hunting season.

[driftdiver]

So stop taking all meds. Just because there is some abuse that means everything is wrong and bad. Right?

[Pollster1]

There are no Death Panels.

FedGov is on our side.

ObamaCare will save the average person $2500.

Would Nancy Pelosi lie to us?

[kingattax]

you could get a good job on Harry Reid’s staff talkin like that.

[Artie]

“Are they reducing levels to satisfy the government now? Or did they increase the levels to the point of ridiculousness in the past to satisfy the pharmaceutical companies?”

Yes. And this does have the somewhat fetid smell of wafting ObamaCare tickling the big pharma nostrils saying,”move the goalposts, cuz we ain’t payin for no spensive druggs no moe”

[trebb]

I’m 60 and between those two numbers. I take BP medication and will continue to do so. I enjoy not having headaches. It’s $10/3 month. Well worth it.

A few more of these studies and full implementation of Obama Care it will go to $10/day to help subsidize birth control and abortion.

[TNoldman]

BP PING

[Georgia Girl 2]

No way Jose. 140/90 is bad enough.

[bert]

Think about what you wrote....... Pharma?

Medical decisions are made to placate plaintiff lawyers. Defense lawyers live on the crumbs of plaintiff lawyers leavings and are guilty as well.

[SamAdams76]

If you are prescribed blood pressure bills, chances are there is an underlying condition that can be resolved through diet and exercise.

You don't need to go on some nutty diet or join Gold's Gym either.

Just eat plenty of natural foods like eggs, cheese, olive oil, nuts, fish, poultry, beef, berries, green vegetables. Stay away from processed salty foods and baked sweets (cakes, pies, cookies, etc.).

The only exercise you really need is an hour or two a day of brisk walking. No need to do anything unpleasant like going to a gym with its loud "dance" music and treadmills, weight machines, etc. Just strap in some headphones and hit the walking trails. Get a dog if you don't already have one to keep you company.