| High blood pressure or hypertension and asthma are | | | | effects that occur when taking ACE inhibitors up to |
| quite common diseases today. Many patients who | | | | 20% of people reported one of the most common |
| suffer from hypertension suffer also from asthma. | | | | side effects -- persistent, dry cough. This cough is a |
| Commonly used medication to treat blood pressure | | | | result of a type of respiratory activity called an |
| such as Beta-blockers often times affect asthma and | | | | "asthma equivalent." |
| make it even worse. Although the combination of | | | | Why is it called "asthma equivalent"? The activity |
| these two isn't dangerous, treatment of these can | | | | inside the respiratory passages mimics the effects of |
| challenging task even for highly qualified health | | | | asthma. In general, it's rare to see serious reactions |
| provider. Developing effective treatment plan should | | | | to ACE inhibitors in asthmatic people, however they |
| be taken seriously and done though careful approach. | | | | have been reported. For these reason, ACE inhibitors |
| Problematic Hypertension Drugs | | | | are not considered as a "first line" drug of choice to |
| Today high blood pressure is treated with various | | | | treat high blood pressure. In some cases they may |
| drugs and among them beta blockers and ACE | | | | still be prescribed by doctor through careful |
| inhibitors have the most potential to cause problems | | | | monitoring of their effects. |
| in patients suffering from asthma. The beta blockers | | | | Safe Hypertension Drugs |
| used to treat high blood pressure are not very | | | | There is a long list of drugs to treat hypertension and |
| selective, so they don't do a good job distinguishing | | | | are safe to use in asthmatic patients: |
| between the different types of receptors on the | | | | - Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) |
| blood vessels and respiratory passages. They are | | | | - Diuretics |
| blocking the beta receptors in the blood vessels | | | | - Calcium Channel Blockers |
| (causing blood vessel dilatation) similar blockade of | | | | The main drawback and one side effect of diuretic |
| beta receptors on respiratory passages causes' | | | | treatment -- in all patients, not just those with |
| constriction, and can lead to dangerous | | | | asthma -- is lowering of potassium level in the body |
| consequences. On the other hand beta stimulating | | | | (Hypokalemia). Medications to treat asthma have a |
| drugs used to treat asthma generally target only the | | | | tendency to force potassium out of the blood. When |
| receptors on respiratory passages. | | | | this tendency is combined with the potassium sapping |
| Who needs new types of beta blockers? | | | | nature of diuretics, regular monitoring of potassium |
| The fact that beta blockers are so effective at | | | | levels is required. |
| treating high blood pressure lead to developing a new | | | | Calcium channel blockers and ARBs have not been |
| versions of the drug, called selective beta-1-blockers, | | | | shown to cause any increased or unusual risk in |
| that do a better job and are more selective between | | | | asthmatic patients. These types of drugs are |
| blood vessels and respiratory passages. | | | | excellent treatment choices for safe treatment. |
| Beta-1-blockers have been subject of a variety of | | | | Calcium channel blockers because of their longer |
| clinical tests and studies in order to determine how | | | | track record and lower cost tend to be used at first. |
| safe they are for asthmatic patients. These clinical | | | | Other High Blood Pressure Drugs |
| tests showed that new beta-1-blockers were safer | | | | Some hypertension drugs have an undefined status: |
| for asthmatic patients. However, still a tendency to | | | | neither "safe" nor "unsafe" for use in people with |
| constrict the respiratory passages in some people | | | | asthma. They have this undefined status because |
| was reported. | | | | these drugs yet haven't been specifically studied in |
| Therefore, even these, new beta-1-blockers that are | | | | people who suffer from both high blood pressure and |
| more selective drugs, still are rarely prescribed to | | | | asthma at the same time. |
| people suffering from asthma. It turns out that these | | | | It's of interest that, most of these drugs - including |
| kinds of blockers are only suitable for specific types | | | | Clonidine and Hydralazine - are rarely used in |
| of asthma patients. | | | | treatment anyway. That way the specific |
| ACE inhibitors, another category of drugs to treat | | | | investigation to use them in patients suffering from |
| high blood pressure, may cause to some serious | | | | asthma is not that appealing option. |
| problems for patients with asthma. Among many side | | | | |