The new blood pressure guidelines - who can we believe?

[MarkMunday]

Reading this article about hypertension reminded me of a recent thread in which diverse opinions on hypertension emerged.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/sick1.html

It is all about how the medical advice of well meaning and unsuspecting doctors is influenced by the pharmaceutical companies.

Cheers,

Mark

[LonghornLady]

So are you telling me that my monitoring my own Blood Pressure med.s is not within your study? Not sure what your point is here....

[MarkMunday]

So are you telling me that my monitoring my own Blood Pressure med.s is not within your study? Not sure what your point is here....
My point is that much of what doctors tell their patients is what the pharamaceutical companies want them to hear. This is because the pharmaceutical companies fund so much of the research that well-meaning doctors are guided by. But, as we all know, big business is primarily motivated by profits. And your interests, as a patient, really don't feature. Which means that, we really have to manage our own healthcare.

The report tracks developments that have turned treating blood pressure into a multi-billion dollar a year business. Linked reports describe similar processes with the treatment of osteoporosis, obesity, deep-vein thrombosis and so-called female sexual dysfunction. Treatment of these "diseases" has been turned into a big money spinner.

I guess the bottom line is that we all need to become well-informed, and we must use our discretion when considering the advice of medical professionals.

Mark

[Belinda]

My endo likes my top number to be 130 or less. And since he is the professional at this I believe him....only cause he tells me stuff like " the guidelines say.....but in reality...." I trust him and since I have kept it (BP) like he wants I have had no additional problems with the eyes etc...even not that many headache. I don't have high blood pressure according to the guidelines but this is a preventative measure that I take the little pill (not very consistent with it during summer). I feel that I am fortunate that I know several doctors that I can ask questions to them and find out the scoop. These are doctors that do not take care of my health so I try and keep an open mind but at least I get other opinions.

[LonghornLady]

Mark's point is well taken. One only need to turn on the TV to see all the pharmaceutical ads (with their long lists of possible side effects).

Hey, how is it these people get to advertise their product while we never see the liquor or tobacco ads of years gone by??? (Yes, dating myself, and I don't mean to suggest liquor or tobacco is good) I just wonder why you can't watch a single program without some pharmaceutical company pushing their drugs?