High Blood Pressure: Do You Have a Game Plan?

Adam Sieg, PharmD Candidate 2011
South Carolina College of Pharmacy – MUSC Campus

Prepared during Consumer Health Information Corporation Clerkship
McLean, VA

It is alarming that 90% of people will develop high blood pressure at some point during their life. This means that you or someone you know may suffer from this disease.

High blood pressure can be deadly if it is left untreated.. In fact, it is a major cause of heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes. Every year 7 million people die too young from untreated high blood pressure.

It is important to know that high blood pressure can be controlled if patients take their medicines correctly.

Why Do Some Patients Not Take Their Medicines as Prescribed?

Over 50% of patients stop taking their blood pressure medicines within one year after starting. Here are some of their reasons:

Lack of symptoms

“I don’t have any symptoms, so why should I take this medicine?”

Patients know to take medicine when they are sick. For instance, when a patient has arthritis they will take medicine to control the pain. Most people don’t know they even have high blood pressure because there are no symptoms. This is why high blood pressure is referred to as the “silent killer”.

Fear of the medicine

“I was afraid of the medication, because I was told that once
I started to take it I would have to take it all my life.”

Many people choose not to take their medicines out of fear. The real danger comes if patients decide to stop taking their medicine. They need to be made aware of the real benefit of the medicine to their long-term health.

Side effects

“I stopped my tablets because I felt sleepy and tired…
I didn’t like the side effects”

Many drugs cause side effects that cause patients to quit taking their medicine. Stopping the medicine may be more dangerous than the side effects caused by the drugs.

Patients do not understand

“…because sometimes they [doctors] explain it
and you just don’t understand…”

Simply put, patients do not understand complex medical language. They should not have to. Doctors and pharmacists need to do a better job teaching patients in plain language.

Creating Your Personal Game Plan

As patients, you have a very big role in your health care. Doctors will not suffer from not taking the medicine. They may feel sorry for you but they will not be in the hospital suffering from the problems that can and will develop.

You need to ask questions so you can gain a better understanding of what you are facing. Here’s a list of questions to get you started:

Why am I taking this medicine? You need to understand why you were prescribed the medicine. Ask the doctor or pharmacist to explain it in a way that you understand. Learn about how the medicine can help protect your heart, kidneys, and brain. Have them write it down so you can refer to the information at home.

What are the dangers if I stop taking the medicine? Ask about high blood pressure and its long-term consequences. You need to know the risks of not starting the medicine or if you stop taking it. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart failure, strokes, and heart attacks. Managing your blood pressure affects not just you, but your family and ability to work.

How can I know if the drug is working? Ask your doctor to teach you how to monitor your blood pressure. Keep a record of your blood pressure numbers and know what they mean. Talk to the doctor about your blood pressure goals. There are several websites that have high blood pressure trackers that can be used to monitor your progress, including  http://www.americanheart.org  and  http://www.cdc.gov/

What can I do about side effects? Blood pressure medicines are well tolerated but always ask about drug side effects. Make a note if you develop side effects and what you are feeling. Never stop taking the medicine without first talking to the doctor or pharmacist. If the side effects are not tolerable there may be another drug that will be better for you.

How can I remember to take the medicine and get refills? Here are some tips
to help you:

• Keep your medicine in a pill box that has each day separated. Then you will know whether you have taken the medicine that day.
• Keep the medicine by your keys or wallet as a reminder to take it before you leave.
• When you take your medicine, mark it on a calendar. Then you can take the calendar to your doctor to show how well you are taking the medicine.
• Most pharmacies now have “auto refill” which lets you know when your prescription needs to be refilled.
• There are also e-mail alerts that let you know when to pick up your medicine.

Your pharmacy has other ways to help you remember to take your medicine and get it refilled on time.

Put Your Game Plan into Action

You know yourself better than the doctor, the nurse, and the pharmacist. Your plan should be centered on what is best for you. Work as a team with your doctor to develop the best plan for you. It is your game plan -- make sure that it works for you.

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