High Blood Pressure: Are You Putting Yourself at Risk?

Noeil Luther, PharmD Candidate 2008
Shenandoah University
Prepared during Consumer Health Information Corporation Clerkship
McLean, VA

You are at your doctor’s office for your yearly physical exam. Your doctor tells you that your blood pressure is high and you need to take another medicine. This new medicine is going to lower your blood pressure. You are in disbelief that you need another medicine. You tell your doctor that you feel fine and you do not have any symptoms of high blood pressure. The doctor gives you a prescription with refills for 6 months. As you are walking out the doctor’s office you are thinking, “Am I going to take this medication?”

High blood pressure is called “The Silent Killer” because most people do not have any symptoms. The American Heart Association reports that 73 million Americans have high blood pressure. This means that 1 in every 3 American adults have high blood pressure. In 2004, high blood pressure was responsible for 54,000 deaths in the United States. High Blood pressure can be kept under control by prescription medication. These medications are effective as long as the patient takes them as prescribed. Unfortunately, some patients find it difficult to take their medicine as prescribed.

Common Problems Patients Encounter

A recent study has revealed that only 64% of patients with high blood pressure are taking their medicines correctly. Some of the most common reasons that affect patients taking their medicine correctly are:

Forgetting to take the medication at the right time or not taking the medication at all due to a busy life style.
Not being able to afford the medication.
Developing a side effect.
Concern of being dependent on the medication.
Not seeing or feeling the effect of the medication.

Dangers of Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure

Not taking blood pressure medication correctly is very dangerous. Uncontrolled blood pressure can damage the heart, kidneys, and the eyes. A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control states that high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. These are the two leading causes of death in the United States.

Uncontrolled blood pressure can also increase doctor visits by 3 times as much and increase the cost to patients by $2000 a year in comparison to those who take their medicine as prescribed.

At Your Next Doctor Visit

If your doctor tells you that you need a new medication to lower your blood pressure, ask the following questions.

Why do I need this new medication?
How will this medicine help lower my blood pressure?
What should my blood pressure level be?
How often and when should I take my blood pressure?
How long is it going to take for this new medicine to work?
How long I am going to be on this medicine?
How many refills can I get for this new medicine?
What are the side effects of this medicine?
What should I do if I notice any side effects?
When should I come back for a follow up visit?

At Home

In order to get all the benefits of blood pressure medications, you need to take your medications as prescribed by your doctor. Some blood pressure medications have to be taken for awhile before they can lower your blood pressure .You may not feel the effects of your blood pressure medication, but you can monitor your progress by using a blood pressure machine that will tell you if your blood pressure is high or low. It is very important that you regularly monitor your blood pressure. It is just as important to know what your blood pressure level is supposed to be. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you this.

Here are some tips on how to measure your blood pressure correctly:

Sit up or lie down with your arm stretched out on a level surface. Your arm should be level with your heart.
Rest for 5 to 10 minutes before taking your blood pressure.
Put the cuff about 1 inch above the elbow. Wrap the cuff snugly around your arm. The blood pressure reading may not be correct if the cuff is too loose.
Turn on the blood pressure monitor and follow the directions that came with your monitor.
Keep a log of your blood pressure by writing down your blood pressure level, the date, the time, and which arm you used to take your blood pressure. Take this log with you to your doctor visit. This will help the doctor to see if you medications are working for you.

Here are some tips you can use to remind yourself when you need to take your medicine:

Ask your doctor or pharmacist when you should take your medication.
Set up a daily schedule of when you need to take your medication that fits in with your lifestyle.
You can remind yourself to take your medication on time by setting the alarm on your wristwatch, cell phone, or alarm clock.
Place your medication at a location that you look at daily. Make sure to store your medicine at a safe place away from children, heat and moisture. The medicine cabinet is not a good place to store your medicine because the moisture in the air can damage you medicine.
Use a calendar to write down your next appointments and when your next refills are due.

Lower Your Risk

Your medications will only work if you take them correctly. You will be faced with many decisions in order to keep your blood pressure under control. Once you have made a treatment schedule that works for you, you will gain the most benefits from your medication and lower the risk of developing heart disease, kidney failure or a stroke due to high blood pressure.

Noeil Luther will receive his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Shenandoah University on May 9,2008. He is a current resident of Sterling, Virginia. This article was prepared during the clerkship rotation at Consumer Health Information Corporation at McLean, Virginia.



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