Medications For High Blood Pressure

'Macho' men die earlier than women

Guys, do you feel pain? Don’t just take it like a man, go see a doctor.

Despite healthcare advances and medical data showing longer life spans for humans, men the world over are dying earlier than women who tend to live five to 10 years longer.

This is because unlike men, women are more likely to seek help for health problems and are more likely to complain or report of having them, explained Dr. Quincy Raya of the Asian Institute of Longevity Medicine, a medical facility specializing in anti-aging medicine.

“As the country celebrates Father’s Day and while the rest of the world observes Men’s Health Month this June, we would like to encourage the men in our lives to open up,” said Raya.

“Men are defiant when it comes to visiting doctors due to gender role training, that is, men are supposed to take pain like a man or suppress suffering like a man,” she said.

“Don’t treat pain and discomfort like a rite to manhood,” Raya said.

‘Macho’ mentality

This “macho” mentality, or sense of invincibility, is what prevents most men from getting screening tests, one of the most important things that men can do for their health and to help live longer lives, explained Raya.

It is only though screening tests that doctors are able to detect diseases early, often before there are symptoms and when they are easier to treat, she said.

“Consider this: Most diseases that shorten men’s lives like heart attack, stroke, prostate and colorectal cancer are very treatable in the early stages. It is only when men already experience severe symptoms that they are forced to see a doctor,” said Raya.

By then, it may already be too late for them.

Tests

The following are the things that men should watch out for and must be screened for:

Prostate cancer. Screening should start at age 40 or 45. A simple digital rectal exam as well as a blood test of PSA levels are very important, especially if a father or brothers have developed prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is highly curable when caught early.

Heart disease/ high blood pressure/ high cholesterol. Raya said that if heart disease runs in your family or if your blood pressure or cholesterol levels are high, ask your doctor about taking medications to control blood pressure and cholesterol levels, even if there are no symptoms yet.

Because men’s testosterone levels start to decline starting around middle age—the so- called andropose that may begin at age 40— the levels of “bad” cholesterol starts to increase while that of the “good” cholesterol decreases, making men more vulnerable to heart disease and stroke.

Medications That Cause High Blood Pressure :: Newbie Answer

There is a list of types of medication that can raise blood pressure. Hypertension frequently occurs during use of oral contraceptives, cyclosporine (used by patients receiving organ transplants), and prescription and nonprescription drugs that contain sympathomimetics (chemicals that mimic the action of the sympathetic nervous system, including raising blood pres­sure) or glucocorticoids (compounds that reduce inflammation).

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—such as as­pirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium, and many other similar drugs used for general pain relief and arthritis treatment—can cause edema (fluid retention) and kidney problems, which can in turn raise blood pressure. Anti-inflammatory drugs that contain corticosteroids (such as cortisone and hydrocortisone) can also raise blood pressure. Appetite suppressants, antihistamines, and cold preparations that contain phentermine, methamphetamine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine also have hyperten­sive effects, particularly in people who already have high blood pressure.

Certain types of antidepressant medication, known as mono­amine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, can cause a hypertensive crisis that can be life-threatening. Tricyclic (this refers to the chemical structure of these drugs) antidepressant drugs can also raise blood pressure or interfere with antihypertensive medication. Finally, some illegal drugs, especially cocaine and amphet­amines, can raise blood pressure significantly.

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