What are some potential adverse effects of treatment used to lower BP?
Potential adverse effects generic to treatment used to lower BP include decreases in cerebral perfusion (contributing to dizziness, confusion and falls) and acute deterioration in kidney function. Additionally, increased conduit-artery stiffness, resulting in high pulse pressure (with high systolic and low diastolic pressures) is common in CKD patients, the elderly and patients with diabetes. This increase in arterial stiffening is associated with an increased risk of CVD independent of other recognized risk factors. Furthermore, in some cases, efforts to reduce systolic BP in older patients and those with coronary artery disease (CAD) can result in lowering diastolic BP to levels well below diastolic targets, which may be associated with greater morbidity or mortality.