A new report by a team at British Heart Foundation (BHF) has encouraged the use of cardiovascular medicines among senior citizens. According to the scientists, many old people could benefit from drugs like statins and anti-hypertensives.
Both the aforementioned medications are prescribed to older people for controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Both these conditions are regarded as risk factors for heart disease. The results of the trial showed that these drugs were taken more by people as they age.
However, the number of individuals consuming blood pressure drugs above the age of 85 seemed to be low. Likewise, statin use appeared to decline among persons aged above 75. The team believed that use of these drugs could increase life expectancies of elderly individuals.
“Available evidence would suggest that older people can benefit from heart protective drugs, but more research is needed. Sometimes there are good reasons for not prescribing certain medicines. An older person may be more vulnerable to particular side-effects, or already be on multiple medicines for other health conditions, meaning it isn’t always appropriate to prescribe additional medicines,†remarked BHF Senior Cardiac Nurse June Davison.
Reported in the journal, BMJ, the team urged professionals to consider the idea of prescribing beneficial drugs to prevent heart disease among old persons. However, the team cautioned that further studies are required to affirm the results pertaining to the link between cardiovascular medications and healthy life spans. The analysts have asked people to talk to their GPs regarding any doubts on using such pills.
Considering that medicines may cause a range of side effects in some people, at times not consuming any sort of medicines is for the good, the scientists said.