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Along with cardiovascular protection, thiazide diuretics can be
recommended to lessen the fracture risk.
It was reported in
a public health news that there are two major health issues -High blood
pressure and weakened bones prevailing in old aged groups. An upcoming in new
scientific research reveals that one class of drugs can provide protection
against both health issues. This scientific research was supported by the study
of thousands of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Medicare patients. According to this
study it was found that anti-hypertension drugs seem to reduce odds of a patient
who is suffering from a hip or pelvic fracture, when compared with people
taking high blood pressure medications.
One endocrinologist
named Dr. Caroline Messer Director, made sense to this finding. She is the
director of The Center for Pituitary and Neuroendocrine Disorders at Lenox Hill
Hospital in New York City. According to her, ‘It is well known that thiazide
therapy can lower calcium excretion into the urine by as much as 50 percent.
This tendency towards a positive calcium balance in the body may [slow] bone
loss and reduce fracture risk. Thiazides may not be the first choice for every
patient. Treatment must always be individualized because thiazide diuretics,
like all medications, come with their own risks. These include hyponatremia
(too little sodium in the blood) and an increased risk for falls.'' The
statement was agreed by Dr. David Friedman, Chief, Heart Failure Services, North
well Health Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital, New York. He said that
''While the new data look promising for the use of thiazide diuretics,
decisions for individual patients need to be weighed in a risk and benefit analysis.''
Funds of this study
was raised by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, led by Dr.
Joshua Barzilay of Kaiser Permanente of Georgia. His team justified the above
data from more than 22,000 patients, averaging 70 years of age. A clinical trial
was done at all these VA and Medicare patients and comparison was done between effects
of different types of blood pressure-lowering drugs on heart disease and heart
attack risk. Patient results were specified for an average of nearly five years
and an analysis was made. The analysis described thiazide-type diuretic drugs
consumption in patient offers a 21 percent low risk than those who took
undertook lisinopril (from a class of drugs known as ACE inhibitors) or
amlodipine (from the class of drugs known as calcium channel blockers) in hip
and pelvic fractures. The above analysis was concluded by Barzilay's team as
"strongly recommend use of a thiazide for hypertension treatment in
addition to its long track record of cardiovascular protection.''
Jama Internal Medicine
Bonus From Your Blood Pressure Med: Fewer fractures?
Caroline Messer et al.
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