High BP reading increases health risk

In patients who are treated for hypertension, one high blood pressure reading at a doctor's visit increases the risk of health problems.When a spike in blood pressure occurs in a patient being treated for high blood pressure, researchers recommended that the doctors should increase the dose of one or more medications, add a new blood pressure medication, and confirm that patients are taking their prescribed drugs everyday.Researchers reviewed the medical records of 5,825 patients treated for high blood pressure. The researchers noted the blood pressure measurements taken at one doctor's visit in 1993, and who developed health problems over the next 5 years.

The researching team found that people with a 10 point increase in systolic pressure during the visit had a 13 percent higher risk of kidney problems, a 9 percent higher risk of heart disease, a 7 percent higher risk of stroke, and a 6 percent higher risk of experiencing their first stroke or heart attack. In addition, people whose heart rates were 10 beats higher per minute during the doctor's visit showed a 16 percent higher risk of dying over the next 5 years.These findings suggest that a single spike in blood pressure can have serious consequences for health. Although blood pressure can vary widely throughout the course of the day, researchers hopes doctors who treat patients with high blood pressure take the dangers of single spikes seriously.