High blood pressure, the “silent killer,” too often gets overlooked by people who have conditions that cause them pain or severe distress, a new study finds.
A survey of more than 51,000 people enrolled in a Pennsylvania state prescription drug program found that people with either physical or psychological problems were markedly less likely to take the pills needed to control their blood pressure, according to a report in the June 28 issue of Hypertension.
“It’s not so surprising,” said study author Dr. Philip Wang. “But what was notable was the consistency with which the presence of other conditions decreased use of antihypertensives [drugs for high blood pressure].”
A wide array of conditions affected use of those drugs, said Wang, an assistant professor of psychiatry, medicine and health-care policy at Harvard Medical School.
For example, someone with both high blood pressure and asthma or another chronic lung disease was 57 percent less likely to take blood pressure medication than someone without such a condition. Use of blood pressure medication was 50 percent lower in people with depression, 41 percent lower for people with gastrointestinal complaints, and 37 percent less likely for people with osteoarthritis.
The blame lies with both patients and doctors, Wang said.