"Medication
shouldn't be viewed as a free pass to continue or start an unhealthy
lifestyle," said researcher Maarit J. Korhonen.
By
Brian P. Dunleavy
FEB. 5, 2020 / 5:02 AM
Feb. 5 (UPI) -- People
diagnosed with high blood pressure or high cholesterol often let heart-healthy
habits slip after starting treatment with prescription drugs, a new study has
found.
In an analysis published
Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association,
Finnish researchers found adults at risk for heart disease and stroke who took
cholesterol- or blood pressure-lowering medications were more likely to reduce
their activity levels and gain weight over time than those not on drug
treatment.
"Medication shouldn't
be viewed as a free pass to continue or start an unhealthy lifestyle,"
study co-author Maarit J. Korhonen, senior researcher at the University of
Turku in Finland, said in a press release. "People starting on medications
should be encouraged to continue or start managing their weight, be physically
active, manage alcohol consumption and quit smoking."
Heart-healthy lifestyle
habits -- like exercise and a balanced diet -- are always recommended whether
or not blood pressure or cholesterol medications are prescribed.
Korhonen and her colleagues
assessed more than 40,000 public-sector workers in Finland who had not been
previously diagnosed with heart disease or stroke. On average, participants
were 52 years of age at the beginning of the study, and 80 percent of them were
female.
Each participant was given
two or more surveys in four-year intervals between 2000 and 2013. The surveys
assessed BMI, physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking history.
The researchers also
obtained pharmacy data if they began taking the prescribed high blood pressure
or statin medications, categorizing medication use based on those who began the
preventive medications between the start of the study and the four-year
follow-up surveys and those who did not start medications.
Compared to those who did
not start medications, the researchers found that those who did were 8 percent
more likely to become physically inactive. They also noted that those on
medication were 82 percent more likely to become obese or have an increase in
body mass index.
The researchers note that,
because of a public health initiative in Finland, as well as variations in the
habits of participants -- such as smoking, the cessation of which can affect
weight gain, and a lack of specific information on participant diets -- the
results of the study may not be broadly generalizable. But, they say, the
research suggests that many slack off in lifestyle habits when they start drug
treatment.
"Our findings support
the notion that there is scope to improve management of lifestyle-related risk
factors among individuals who have initiated preventive medication,"
researchers wrote in the study. "Patients' awareness of their risk factors
alone seems not to be effective in improving health behaviors."
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