Q6 : "Tension ! Hypertension !"

Query :
Dear Doctor,
I am always feeling tense, and have frequent headaches. When I went for a health check-up, I was found to have hypertension. What is the best medicine for blood pressure in the beginning stage. Pl advice.
- Madhav Sinha, Chennai-India

Answer :

Calm down friend, calm down !! - yes , being not excited on seeing the first reading above(140/90) - and acting like a saint is the first step and the best medication one can take. Other than this, the ideal measures are outlined.

A) Young less than forty - a water pill and a calcium channel blocker.
B) More than forty - a selective beta-blocker ore ACE inhibitor.

It is not as simple as A+B - for many a patient with hypertension - is a sitting bomb, likely to get a stroke, kidney failure, blindness, heart attack or even a terminal appointment with our creator. So the right combination for hypertension depends on age, co-morbid disease, other concomitant medications consumed, habits of the patient - or even the doctor!

yours tension-free,
Dr.Ravindranath