Lagere bloeddruk kan problemen van hart- en vaatziektes oplossen.*
Uit een kleine studie onder 274 hartpatiënten blijkt dat bloeddruk zeker zo belangrijk is dan cholesterol bij de behandeling van de ziekte. Bij bloeddrukken van hoger dan 140/90 blijft de plaquevorming doorgaan. Bij bloeddrukken van tussen 120/80 en 140/90 blijkt de plaquevorming te stoppen doch bij lagere waarden dan 120/80 neemt de plaquevorming duidelijk af.
Lowering
Blood Pressure Can Stop or Reverse Heart Disease
Keeping hypertension at bay as important as reducing cholesterol, study
suggests
-- Aggressive reduction of blood pressure
in people with coronary artery disease may stop, and even reverse, the disease,
U.S. researchers report.
In fact, lowering patients' blood pressure
may be as important as treatment to reduce cholesterol, said researchers at the
Cleveland Clinic. They suggested that blood pressure levels currently
recommended for coronary artery disease patients are not low enough for optimal
control or reversal of the disease.
"Our results have important
implications. They indicate that patients with coronary artery disease, such as
those with previous heart attacks, could benefit from more aggressive lowering
of their blood pressure, much like aggressive cholesterol management,"
cardiologist Dr. Ilke Sipahi said in a prepared statement.
His team reported the findings in the Aug.
15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The two-year study of 274 patients found that those with an average blood
pressure level above 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic showed a
significant increase in the amount of plaque in their arteries.
In contrast, patients with blood pressure
levels between 120-139 systolic and 80-90 diastolic showed no change in the
amount of plaque over the two years, while those with a systolic pressure of
less than 120 and diastolic pressure of less than 80 actually showed signs of
reversal of coronary disease.
Current recommendations advise keeping
systolic pressure below 140 and diastolic pressure below 90, regardless of
whether a patient has heart disease.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute has more about coronary artery disease (www.nhlbi.nih.gov ).
(Aug. 2006) (Opm. Bij het specifiek advies kunt u zien met welke voeding u uw bloeddruk kunt verlagen.)