You go into the hospital for one reason…to get better. But a new study shows that many seniors are coming out in worse shape than when they went in.

The reason?

Doctors are sending them home with an overdose of blood pressure medications.

A University of California study revealed this troubling trend.1

Researchers looked at the records of almost 15,000 patients admitted to a Veteran’s Affairs hospital between 2011 and 2013. All the patients were over 65 and had high blood pressure.

It turned out that one in seven patients were sent home with higher doses of blood pressure drugs or more of them.

This meant the patients suffered more side effects. In particular, they were vulnerable to falls after they became dizzy from blood pressure that was too low.

Falls are a leading cause of injury in seniors. One fourth of seniors who fracture a hip in a fall die within six months. And many others lose their independence and end up in assisted living.2

The study’s lead author was Dr. Timothy Anderson. “Our results show evidence that doctors are treating inpatient blood pressures aggressively, despite there being no evidence to suggest this is beneficial,” he said.

He added: “Hospitalized older adults are particularly vulnerable to medication harms.”

Don’t Let Your Doctor Overdose You

The study authors say that hospital physicians should avoid adjusting patients’ blood pressure meds. Instead, if they notice elevated blood pressure readings, they should inform the patient’s primary care doctor after the patient is discharged.

Although the study considered only VA hospitals, the results likely apply to hospitals in general, said Dr. Anderson.

If you’re hospitalized and a physician wants to change your blood pressure meds, don’t be afraid to challenge him. Ask him why.

Call your primary care doctor to get his opinion.

As a patient, you have every right to decide what’s best for you.3

Editor’s Note: Something strange was happening to pilots training to fly F-16 fighter jets.

The ones who went into the program with elevated blood pressure were coming out a few weeks later with normal, healthy readings. They hadn’t taken any medications. Their diets hadn’t changed. They hadn’t made any changes to their exercise regimens.

Go HERE to discover their secret. And how you could lower your blood pressure up to 15 points from your living room using this same trick.

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References:
1 https://consumer.healthday.com/circulatory-system-information-7/blood-pressure-news-70/hospitals-may-overprescribe-blood-pressure-meds-study-finds-737617.html
2 https://www.comfortkeepers.com/home/info-center/senior-independent-living/seniors-and-falls-statistics-and-prevention
3 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/patients/information/questions-to-ask-your-doctor