Why Missing Blood Pressure Medication May Put Your Heart at RiskHypertension, commonly called high blood pressure, occurs when blood consistently pushes against artery walls with too much force. It doesn\u2019t typically cause noticeable symptoms, but over time it can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular issues.<\/p>\n
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Repeatedly missing medication can leave blood pressure inadequately controlled, Dr. Al Dhabyi says, noting that a 10 mm\/Hg reduction in blood pressure is typically associated with a 20 percent lower risk of heart-related emergencies.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0\u201cMissed medication doses represent a significant lost opportunity to reduce cardiovascular risk and improve long-term outcomes,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen doses are regularly missed, blood pressure no longer stays at a steady level, but fluctuates widely,\u201d says Ramy Sadek, MD<\/a>, a cardiologist and associate program director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at UC Riverside School of Medicine in California, who was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n Over time, those fluctuations can stress the arteries and increase the heart\u2019s workload, potentially raising the long-term risk of a heart attack or stroke, Dr. Sadek says.<\/p>\n Why Is It Difficult to Take Blood Pressure Medication Consistently?<\/p>\n The results weren\u2019t particularly surprising to the researchers or outside experts. What was striking was that medication adherence<\/a> declined throughout the study period, even among clinical trial participants, who typically receive more structured follow-up than patients do in everyday medical care.<\/p>\n \u201cThis suggests that maintaining medication use over many years is a challenge, even under relatively favorable conditions,\u201d Yang says.<\/p>\n One major challenge to a consistent medication routine is that high blood pressure often doesn\u2019t cause symptoms, Al Dhaybi says: \u201cMany patients with elevated blood pressure feel generally well and therefore do not perceive an immediate need to take medication.\u201d<\/p>\n Side effects, complicated dosing schedules, multiple medications, and treatment costs can also make it difficult to take blood pressure drugs every day, he adds.<\/p>\n Sadek agrees. \u201cManaging that level of polypharmacy is exhausting, and life will interrupt most routines,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The Study Had Some Limitations<\/p>\n Because the researchers combined data from multiple clinical trials, medication adherence wasn\u2019t measured consistently across studies. To make comparisons possible, they grouped participants into those who took at least 80 percent of their medication and those who took less, even though adherence can vary considerably from person to person.<\/p>\n The researchers also couldn\u2019t randomly assign people to take or skip their medication. Factors that can affect adherence \u2014 including treatment costs, access to healthcare, socioeconomic circumstances, and more \u2014 could also affect cardiovascular health and influence the results.<\/p>\n [4]<\/p>\n What Should You Do If You Forget Your Blood Pressure Medication?<\/p>\n Occasionally forgetting one pill doesn\u2019t eliminate the benefits of your medication, experts say.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d hate for a patient to read this and think, \u2018I missed my pill on Tuesday, so the damage is already done \u2014 why bother continuing?\u2019\u201d Sadek says. \u201cThis study speaks to chronic nonadherence sustained over weeks and months, not the occasional lapse that happens to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n