It’s estimated that more than 100 million Americans have high blood pressure. Even though in many cases, it can be managed naturally through healthy lifestyle modifications, blood pressure medications are routinely prescribed by doctors across the country, placing many Americans at an even greater risk of detrimental health effects. According to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, patients taking a common type of blood pressure medication, known as angiotensin receptor blockers or ARBs, have an increased risk of suicide.
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When researchers compared patients taking ARBs with those taking another kind of blood pressure medication — Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or ACE inhibitors — they found that those taking ARBs were 63% more likely to commit suicide. According to data they pulled from a Canadian health database, 964 people committed suicide within 100 days of being prescribed either an ARB or an ACE inhibitor. When researchers compared those patients to a control group of over 3,000 people who were also taking either type of blood pressure medication, they found that suicide rates in patients taking ARBs were significantly higher.
The researchers weren’t able to establish direct cause and effect, however, they noted that the two medications work differently in the brain. ARBs block angiotensin, a protein associated with high blood pressure. They concluded that this could affect a patient’s mental health.
Factors that may influence your blood pressure are varied. Although diet and exercise are important strategies to control high blood pressure, there are others you may incorporate to positively affect your blood pressure and improve your overall health. Some of these factors include lifestyle choices, such as quitting smoking and addressing your potassium to sodium ratio. Learn about natural ways to help promote healthy blood pressure levels, here.