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Blood Pressure Medications Can Cause an Increase in Triglyceride Levels
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Blood Pressure Medications Can Cause an Increase in Triglyceride Levels. Several
studies show that some blood pressure medicines can affect cholesterol levels, including
triglycerides. Beta blockers are widely used for controlling high blood
pressure, however some beta blockers such as propranolol, atenolol and metoprolol — can decrease
high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol and may lightly increase triglyceride
levels. Typically this occurs in people who are more predisposed to or who already have
metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of
metabolic risk factors in one person. They include:* Abdominal obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around
the abdomen)
* Atherogenic dyslipidemia (blood fat disorders — high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and high
LDL cholesterol
* Elevated blood pressure
* Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (the body can’t properly use insulin or blood sugar) as
in diabetes If we see Newer group of beta blockers like carvedilol
(Carveda, Dimitone, Delatrend} and nebivolol are less often associated with these changes. Now come to another group of high blood pressure medicines
like Thiazide diuretics. These drugs in higher doses also can slightly increase triglycerides as
well as total cholesterol. Some observational studies have linked such changes with an increase
in cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and stroke. However, controlled trials haven't
corroborated this, and in fact, have found a reduction in cardiovascular events with
diuretics. Still, meta-analyses of the older beta blocker drugs such
as propranolol, atenolol and metoprolol shows that these medicines should not be initial drugs
of choice in the treatment of hypertension except in specific instances such as to prevent
recurrent coronary artery disease, to manage heart failure and to treat certain arrhythmias. There is no hard and fast rule, that you should not take
these medicines, so before making any changes in your medicines, take consultation of your
doctor.
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