from Northwestern University
Seems like there is a pill for just about everything, and in the case of high blood pressure, medications can be very effective in reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure. But a new study at Northwestern University suggests the conventional treatments cannot undo all of the previous damage. Senior author Dr. Donald Lloyd Jones says people in the study who achieved ideal blood pressure levels still had about twice the risk of those who had ideal blood pressure levels without medication. He stresses that it remains very important to treat high blood pressure with antihypertensive medications because they lower the risk of cardiovascular disease significantly in middle-age and older adults, but suggests more focus on maintaining healthy blood pressure levels in younger adults.