New Online Tool Predicts Effectiveness of Blood Pressure Drugs

A groundbreaking Blood Pressure Treatment Efficacy Calculator has been developed, allowing doctors to estimate how well different blood pressure medications will work for individual patients. This innovative tool, created using data from nearly 500 randomized clinical trials involving over 100,000 participants, is published in The Lancet and could significantly transform the management of high blood pressure.

According to Nelson Wang, a cardiologist and Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, every one millimeter of mercury reduction in systolic blood pressure can lower the risk of heart attack or stroke by two percent.

The calculator helps navigate the complexity of treatment options where, with dozens of drugs and multiple doses per drug, there are thousands of possible combinations. Traditionally, doctors have started treatment with a single medication which typically lowers systolic blood pressure by only eight to nine mmHg, while many patients require reductions of 15 to 30 mmHg to reach healthy targets.

Dr. Wang highlights that relying solely on blood pressure readings for treatment adjustments can be misleading due to the variability of these readings, which can fluctuate significantly day to day or even seasonally.

The new calculator classifies treatments based on their intensity and is designed to provide a more tailored approach to therapy. Anthony Rodgers, Senior Professorial Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, states that there has never been a comprehensive source showing how effective different drugs are, particularly when used in combination or at varying doses.

This new method allows healthcare providers to specify how much a patient's blood pressure needs to be lowered, select an evidence-based treatment plan, and initiate therapy sooner rather than later. High blood pressure affects approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide and is a leading cause of death, contributing to about ten million fatalities annually.

The majority of individuals with hypertension do not have their condition adequately controlled. Professor Rodgers emphasizes that even modest improvements in blood pressure management could have a substantial public health impact, potentially saving millions of lives.

The Blood Pressure Treatment Efficacy Calculator is freely available at www.bpmodel.org.