A consultant cardiologist, Dr Olayinka Hassan, has warned hypertensive patients against stopping their medication to forestall dangerous health outcomes.
Hassan who works at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
He gave the warning in commemoration of the World Hypertension Day (WHD) commemorated annually on May 17.
The theme for WHD 2022 was: “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.”
Hassan said abrupt stoppage of any medication used to treat high blood pressure could portend risk to the patient’s health.
“Hypertension is a chronic disease. It can be controlled with medication but it cannot be cured.
“Some people think hypertension is like malaria that goes once they take the drugs.
“The blood pressure can temporarily normalise but if you stop the drugs, after a while, it can come back and might result in heart attack, stroke or other life-threatening conditions.
“There’s what we call rebound hypertension, which is usually higher than what it was before,” he said.
According to him, patients should continue with treatment and lifestyle modifications as advised by their physician and attend regular medical follow up.
The cardiologist advised against using herbal medicine in combination with high blood pressure drugs.
He added that efficacy of herbal medicine for hypertension treatment had not been extensively studied and could expose the patient to other health risks.
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Hassan advised on regular blood pressure check, weight loss, consumption of healthy diet, reduction in salt intake and avoiding alcohol to reduce risks associated with hypertension.
