his week, the phones will be ringing off their hooks in my office from anxious patients concerned about the results of the SPRINT trial. Along with results of a second trial published last week in the British journal Lancet, new information suggests that many people with high blood pressure may need more medication. Ouch!
Optimal blood pressure (BP) numbers – less than 120/80 — has never been questioned. Yet, just last year, physicians were telling patients that they can relax a bit about their blood pressure, as long as it is less than 140/90 (and maybe even 150/90 if they are older). Now, based on results from the SPRINT trial, it looks like more medication to further lower blood pressure may be better. But, no one wants to be on another pill!
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