Recently, I read a shocking statistic published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It stated that close to 5 million people on Medicare in the United States were not taking their blood pressure medication as prescribed by their doctor, which can only increase their risks of heart attack and stroke.
When analyzing 18.5 million Medicare Part D enrollees in 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that 26% either skipped doses of their blood pressure medication or stopped taking the medication altogether.
Medication class also made a difference in the statistics, the study also found in its analysis. Lower-income individuals were less likely to take their blood pressure medication as prescribed. Approximately 32% of people with a low-income subsidy did not adhere to their program, compared with 25% of people with no subsidy.
Many people believe that adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle change will be sufficient enough for them. However, eating right and exercising regularly are not enough to bring blood pressure down to healthy levels [anything lower than 140/90] for some individuals. Medication is a critical necessity for the vast majority of people with high blood pressure, but they only work if they are taken and done so correctly.
Your family physician or cardiologist is not able to work miracles right away and without your cooperation. The two of you working together will maximize the possibility of your acute problem being alleviated and brought under control. Should you not like the treatment being provided, you have the choice of speaking to another physician or discussing your concerns about why the medication is not the right fit for you. The physician will then inform you of the alternatives.
When analyzing 18.5 million Medicare Part D enrollees in 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that 26% either skipped doses of their blood pressure medication or stopped taking the medication altogether.
Medication class also made a difference in the statistics, the study also found in its analysis. Lower-income individuals were less likely to take their blood pressure medication as prescribed. Approximately 32% of people with a low-income subsidy did not adhere to their program, compared with 25% of people with no subsidy.
Many people believe that adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle change will be sufficient enough for them. However, eating right and exercising regularly are not enough to bring blood pressure down to healthy levels [anything lower than 140/90] for some individuals. Medication is a critical necessity for the vast majority of people with high blood pressure, but they only work if they are taken and done so correctly.
Your family physician or cardiologist is not able to work miracles right away and without your cooperation. The two of you working together will maximize the possibility of your acute problem being alleviated and brought under control. Should you not like the treatment being provided, you have the choice of speaking to another physician or discussing your concerns about why the medication is not the right fit for you. The physician will then inform you of the alternatives.
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