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Contrary to the common belief that medication for high blood pressure must be taken for the rest of one’s life, recent studies have shown that, a year after suspending therapy, around 42% of people with minor or initial high blood pressure maintained values that were still in the norm.

The Guidelines

An in-depth study conducted in Australia (British Medical Journal 2002;325:815-817 (12 October)), and later resumed by the Journal Watch of 15.11.02, established the guidelines by which a doctor could foresee that a patient’s pressure would remain normal even after the suspension of hypertension therapy, that is:

• Minor to moderate hypertension
• Age not superior to 74 years
• A lean physical structure (in other words, a relatively flat abdomen)
• Use of only one hypertension drug during precedent therapy
• Lowering of (maximum) systolic pressure in the course of treatment

In contrast with what was stated on the basis of previous studies, even a patient’s family doctor can evaluate the data and decide to suspend hypertension therapy. In addition, he must regularly monitor the patient’s symptoms in case it becomes necessary to resume treatment.

It doesn’t take long to know whether the suspension of drugs will be successful. As the research pointed out, around half of the patients tested needed to resume medication because their symptoms returned within 70 days.

The advantages

The suspension of medication, where possible and under strict medical supervision, offers the principal advantage of limiting the side effects linked to the mental, sexual and allergic spheres that are typical of many hypertension drugs.

Clearly, once a patient has suspended treatment, his recovery to a normal state must by supported by other means, such as:

• Exercise
• A restricted diet, with a low-salt content.

(For information on the low-salt diet, click here .)

Even though various studies reaching back to the 80’s reported that a proper diet could be a valid aid in the normalization of blood pressure after the suspension of hypertension medication, twenty years went by before this false belief (from which the pharmaceutical companies benefit the most) would finally be questioned.

Italian version