In response to a study published in the Lancet which showed that blood-pressure lowering drugs should be routinely considered for patients undergoing dialysis, Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said:

"Reducing high blood pressure in the general population reduces the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Unlike people with healthy kidneys, dialysis patients have to cope with large shifts in the volume of their circulation that occur during dialysis. Because blood pressure lowering drugs can interfere with the body's ability to react to such changes, doctors are cautious about using them in dialysis patients.

"On the basis of this study alone it is not possible to draw a definitive conclusion but it suggests that well conducted large, prospective clinical trials are now needed to provide a clear cut answer as to whether blood pressure lowering drugs are both safe and effective for dialysis patients. "

Notes

1) Statement issued in response to 'Effect of lowering blood pressure on cardiovascular events and mortality in patients on dialysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials' published online February 26 2009 in the Lancet.

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