Posted on 07/05/2019 5:10:42 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
The new early-stage research finding comes from a team of scientists led by Imperial College London, who investigated the effectiveness and side effects of three common blood pressure medications: ACE-inhibitors, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers.
The most common treatments for high blood pressure are lifestyle changes and medications.
By investigating versions of genes that mimic the effects of these drugs, the team were able to study the drugs' effectiveness -- and their potential side effects.
The team, who included researchers from LMU Munich, then studied whether these gene variants -- which cause increased production of these proteins -- were linked to an increased or decreased risk of other diseases.
The good news was that, as expected, these so-called genetic variants (which coded for proteins involved in lowering blood pressure) were linked to lower heart disease and stroke risk.
However after assessing the risk of around 900 different diseases -- using data from the UK Biobank study -- the team found that the versions of genes related to the effects of a particular type of calcium channel blocker -- the non-dihydropyridine class, were linked to an increased the risk of a bowel condition called diverticulosis.
The link now needs further investigation with larger trials, explains Dr Dipender Gill, co-lead author of the research from Imperial's School of Public Health: "This is the first time that this class of blood pressure drug has been associated with diverticulosis. We're not sure of the underlying mechanism -- although it may relate to effects on the function of intestine muscles, which perform contractions to transport food through the gut.
Dr Gill cautions the findings should not change current prescribing guidelines and that people should not stop taking their medication unless first consulting their doctor.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
The non-dihydropyridine class of calcium channel blocker.
I’d encourage lifestyle changes to reduce one’s blood pressure. Otherwise, consider one of the other alternatives.
Actual drug names for the non-dihydropyridine class at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_channel_blocker
Interestink. Thanx for posting
Thanks for posting. I checked and Amlodipine is not in the potential “bad” class.
I have done that. 300 pounds to 235 now. Goal 195.
I am on several blood pressure drugs but for the past three weeks most of my BP reads in 102/77 or similar. I am calling my doctor on Monday for a complete review of all current medications I am taking.
That is wonderful!!
Amlodipine is on the list. I ended up in the hospital with diverticulosis for 6 days, but was actually prescribed amlodiphine after the hospital stay, so in my case it didn’t cause the problem. Maybe the other drug did.
Thank you! And my blood sugar is normal now. I went from two metformin and two glipizide per day to one metformin a day.
My wife has put me on a 1550 calorie per day diet and I am working outside gardening etc and doing 30 minutes on our treadmill. The treadmill is nothing fancy; we purchased it on sale from Wal-Mart for about $400.00
“I have done that. 300 pounds to 235 now.”
How did you do that?
Amlodipine is on the list. I ended up in the hospital with diverticulosis for 6 days, but was actually prescribed amlodiphine after the hospital stay, so in my case it didn’t cause the problem. Maybe the other drug did.
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No, Amlodipine is OK. It’s the non-dihydropyridine class of calcium channel blockers that the study is pointing at. Amlodipine is in the dihydropyridine class.
https://www.amboss.com/us/knowledge/Calcium_channel_blockers
Dude, you are doing GOOD! Stick with it.
See my post #9. Also my wife has been dieting and exercising with me.
head medications can cause constipation which is one of the many factors in diverticulosis which most people develop to some extent anyway. as compared to heart and kidney failure from u treated high blood pressure. it’s a no brainer. By the way these drugs are not first line drugs for hypertension anyway.
One big problem in the study is that they did not check if the people had diverticlosis before they started taking the pill.
As for lifestyle changes... I agree. But they have a limited effect in severe high blood pressure, and I am old enough to remember when young people died of strokes and heart attacks from high blood pressure (and we still see a lot of this here in the Philippines where I live)
But all drugs have side effects.
Take a thiazide diuretic and ten percent of men become impotent.
Take lisinopril or ace1 blocker, and ten percent of people get a cough.
Take an ace2 blocker which are safe, unless they are manufactured overseas and contain toxic contaminents.
For the non-laboratory denizens, how about a
few drug names?
I take 7 drugs a day for high blood pressure. And none of them do s**t. I see my MD in two weeks. I’m going to tell him to shove them up his ass.
Have you tried Edarbi or Edarbiclor?
I see. Thanks.
bkmk
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