Just how effective are blood pressure medications?

http://www.drbriffa.com/2012/06/08/j...e-medications/

"Even if we extend these NNTs over time, they still are not
impressive. Taking the best numbers here (stroke prevention in men),
an NNT of 160 over one year equates to an NNT of 32 over 5 years. So,
of 32 men treated, one will avoid a stroke, but the other 31 will not.
Which means 97 per cent of men taking two medications over 5 years
will not benefit in terms of stroke prevention.

"Now, of course, these slim benefits need to be weighed against the
potential adverse effects of antihypertensives (of which there are
many, unfortunately)."

Here's some of those adverse effects:

Headache.
Dizziness.
Dry cough.
Feeling weak.
Low blood pressure (hypotension).
Awareness of your heartbeat (palpitations).
Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea,
vomiting or abdominal pain.
Dry mouth.
Inflammation of the lining of the nose (rhinitis).
Skin reactions such as rash, itching, hair loss or sweating.
Faster than normal heartbeat (tachycardia).
Irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias).
Chest pain (angina).
Shortness of breath.
Increased level of potassium in the blood (hyperkalaemia).
Severe swelling of lips, face, tongue or throat (angioedema - see
warning above).
Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
Problems with kidney function.
Disturbances in the normal levels of blood cells in the blood
(tell you doctor if you get a sore throat, mouth ulcers, high
temperature (fever), or feel tired or generally unwell while taking
this medicine).
Problems with liver function, including jaundice or hepatitis
(consult your doctor promptly if you develop unexplained itching,
yellowing of the skin or eyes, unusually dark urine, nausea and
vomiting, abdominal pains, loss of appetite or flu-like symptoms while
taking this medicine).

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/heart-and...es/gopten.html

Now the point here isn't to convince you that you should avoid drugs
(or salt, etc.) at any cost, but to remind you that there are *always*
risks when taking any kind of drug (risks the doctor will rarely be
aware of), and that they should only be contemplated after considering
diet, nutritional, and lifestyle changes.

The comments make for an interesting read, too.

Low-carb diets (and subsequent weight loss) helped several commenters
get off BP meds entirely. Other diets can probably work, too, provided
substantial weight loss is achieved. And exercise obviously helps,
too.


--
Dogman

"I have approximate answers and possible beliefs in different degrees of certainty
about different things, but I'm not absolutely sure of anything" - Richard Feynman