A new study claims medication commonly used by older people to treat high blood pressure could increase their risk of bowel disease.
Researchers from Imperial College London studied the side effects and effectiveness of three blood pressure medications: ACE-inhibitors, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers.
For the study, researchers used genetic analyses to be able to better examine the drugs. After identifying the proteins targeted by the drug (to bring blood pressure levels down), researchers were able to detect the genetic variants that code for these proteins in close to 750,000 people.
Researchers wanted to understand if these gene variants make it more or less likely to develop other health issues. The results showed that a version of these genes may increase the risk of a bowel condition called diverticulosis. "This is the first time that this class of blood pressure drug has been associated with diverticulosis. We're not sure of the underlying mechanism -- although it may relate to effects on the function of intestine muscles, which perform contractions to transport food through the gut," Dr Dipender Gill, co-author of the study from Imperial's School of Public Health, told a news portal.
Close to one in 10 people around the world suffer from high blood pressure. It can lead to serious health conditions like stroke and heart attack. Lifestyle changes and medication are the current treatment options. Even though these forms of medication are widely used, there is not enough research conducted to investigate its potential side effects as clinical trials can be very expensive. "The study of genetic variants that mimic the effect of drugs is evolving as a powerful concept to help prioritise clinical trials and design clinical trials more likely to be successful," Dr Joanna Tzoulaki, senior author from Imperial's School of Public Health, told a news portal.
Despite the findings, researchers say there should be no change in current prescribing guidelines and that people should not quit taking these medications."These findings should not change clinical practice, but instead should act as a catalyst for further research,"Gill told a news portal.
The study's findings were originally published in the journal Circulation.
