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Otter Creek, Lake Cumberland Kentucky
Lowering Blood
Pressure Can Stop or Reverse Heart Disease
Keeping
hypertension at bay as important as reducing cholesterol, study
suggests
(HealthDay News)
-- Aggressive reduction of blood pressure in people with coronary
artery disease may stop, and even reverse, the disease, U.S.
researchers report.
In fact, lowering patients' blood pressure may be as important as
treatment to reduce cholesterol, said researchers at the Cleveland
Clinic. They suggested that blood pressure levels currently
recommended for coronary artery disease patients are not low enough
for optimal control or reversal of the disease.
"Our results have important implications. They indicate that
patients with coronary artery disease, such as those with previous
heart attacks, could benefit from more aggressive lowering of their
blood pressure, much like aggressive cholesterol management,"
cardiologist Dr. Ilke Sipahi said in a prepared statement.
His team reported the findings in the Aug. 15 issue of the
Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The two-year study of 274 patients found that those with an average
blood pressure level above 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic
showed a significant increase in the amount of plaque in their
arteries.
In contrast, patients with blood pressure levels between 120-139
systolic and 80-90 diastolic showed no change in the amount of
plaque over the two years, while those with a systolic pressure of
less than 120 and diastolic pressure of less than 80 actually showed
signs of reversal of coronary disease.
Current recommendations advise keeping systolic pressure below 140
and diastolic pressure below 90, regardless of whether a patient has
heart disease.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about
coronary artery disease.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: Cleveland
Clinic, news release, Aug. 7, 2006