High blood pressure or hypertension is a common health concern and adversely increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. Several drug treatments have been discovered for the treatment of hypertension. However, some studies suggest that the effect of drugs may differ based on age and ethnicity. This study aims to determine whether drug treatments for hypertension vary based on age and ethnicity.
This observational cohort study included new users of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEI/ARB), thiazides, and calcium channel blockers (CCB). The primary outcome of the study was the change in systolic blood pressure in new users of ACEI/ARB versus CCB based on age and ethnicity.
A total of 87,440 new users of ACEI/ARB, 67,274 new users of CCB, and 22,040 new users of thiazides were found during a follow-up of 1 year. The use of CCB was associated with a larger reduction in systolic blood pressure in non-black people with no diabetes who were younger than 55 years compared with ACEI/ARB. In non-black people with no diabetes, CCB use was associated with systolic BP reduction in adults aged 75 or older.
The research concluded that the new use of CCB was associated with higher reductions in systolic blood pressure in non-black adults.
Ref: https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4080
