Should Everyone Over 55 Be On Cardiovascular Medications?

A new study from London says maybe. According to a study published recently, drugs such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors reduce the chance of heart attacks by around a quarter and stroke by around a third, even in people who don’t have “high” blood pressure.

Those involved with the study even suggest that maybe our definitions of high blood pressure need to be changed. What we call “normal” is really high. I agree with that. You almost always see better anecdotal results when blood pressures are kept below the “normal” 120-130/80-90.

Even more interesting to me is that the researchers found beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics, calcium channel blocker and angiotensin receptor blockers to be roughly equally effective at cutting the risk of heart disease and stroke.

I don’t necessarily think that dosing everyone with a polypill is the right choice with the data we know.  On the other hand, if I myself were over 55 I might be asking for a statin & ACE inhibitor if I was borderline.

It’s something I think clincians should decide on case by case basis.  At the very list, research like this should trigger primary care providers to consider prescribing medications to patient that are “borderline” more seriously.