Upping Seniors’ Blood Pressure Meds After Hospital Can Sometimes Bring Danger
The prevalence of high blood pressure in black Americans continues to be among the highest in the world. Yet, for seniors who’ve been hospitalized for non-cardiac conditions, any hike in blood pressure medications as they leave the hospital can actually prove dangerous according to new research.
That’s because the prescription change may not help and could do harm – putting them at higher risk for falls and other health issues, investigators said.
“During hospitalization, patients’ blood pressure can be temporarily elevated in response to illness and stress,” explained lead author Dr. Timothy Anderson.
However, “our findings suggest that making medication changes during this period is not beneficial,” said Anderson, who is a primary care research fellow at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
“Instead, deferring medication adjustments [until after] patients are
