MANILA, Philippines?Lowering of one?s blood pressure is widely seen as the key to preventing cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes and deaths.

While most people would be worried about acquiring high blood pressure (hypertension), doctors reminded that having consistent blood pressure readings of systolic pressure from 120 to 139 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure from 80 to 89 mm Hg?otherwise known as prehypertension?is already a cause for concern.

It is true that blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day but when it stays within this range of measurements every time you have your blood pressure checked, then you are putting yourself at higher risk of developing full-blown hypertension.

Hypertension, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and stroke, opens up a host of new ailments such as serious damage to the heart, eyes, brain and kidneys.

Lifestyle changes

Doctors would usually advise those with prehypertension to change their lifestyle such as losing weight, following a healthy diet plan, watching alcohol and salt intake, quitting smoking, and exercising more.

But what if a prehypertensive takes an antihypertension medication to optimize blood pressure?

In fact, this is what the recent study called Prevention of Hypertension with the ACE Inhibitor Ramipril in Patients with High-Normal Blood Pressure (Pharao) did when it enrolled 1,008 individuals, aged 50 or over, with prehypertension and who had not previously been treated with any antihypertension medications.

Ramipril (Tritace) used in the study is a drug belonging to a family of high blood pressure medications known as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

The study reported that the group who took ramipril had a 34.4 percent relative risk reduction in the development of hypertension than those who did not.

Extends

The Pharao study shows, for the first time, that development of hypertension could now be delayed if not prevented in individuals who are already exhibiting prehypertension levels.

The study also revealed that individuals who do not do anything about their prehypertension are more likely to develop hypertension later in life.

One of the cruel facts of hypertension is that it exhibits no distinctive symptoms.

Usually, when one feels any symptoms, it is usually too late.

This is why doctors remind that the only way to find out if one has an unusually high blood pressure is to test for it regularly, either by going to a doctor or to health providers that one often sees stationed in public places. Charles E. Buban