Treatment of hypertension in patients with bronchial asthma

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Nguyen Huy Nhat - Respiratory Doctor - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Hypertension is the increased pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure consists of two numbers, systolic and diastolic pressure, corresponding to the highest and lowest pressures of the blood flow in the arteries.
Patients have high blood pressure when the systolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 140 mmHg, or the diastolic blood pressure is above or equal to 90 mmHg.
High blood pressure puts a lot of pressure on the heart and can lead to heart disease and coronary artery disease. Moreover, high blood pressure is also a major risk factor in cerebrovascular accident, aneurysm, heart failure,... Therefore, blood pressure control in patients with bronchial asthma is a common and very important problem. important in the treatment of bronchial asthma.

The treatment of hypertension in patients with bronchial asthma is problematic, as some antihypertensive drugs may increase bronchospasm.
Antihypertensive drugs dangerous for patients with bronchial asthma:
Beta blockers: can cause bronchial obstruction and increase airway reactivity. Beta-blockers antagonize oral beta-agonists such as salbutamol, inhaled in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Therefore, the use of beta-blockers in the treatment of hypertension will aggravate the condition of patients with bronchial asthma. ACE inhibitors: A common side effect is a dry cough. One study found that asthma reactions, bronchospasm, only 1/10 of the frequency of coughs, were caused by side effects of ACE inhibitors. The airway obstruction is not severe, but has been observed in some asthmatic patients with ACE inhibitors. Safe blood pressure medications for patients with bronchial asthma:
receptor blockers: do not cause cough, and do not increase bronchial reactivity. Diuretic: effective for asthmatics. However, there is a risk of hypokalemia, and the use of oral corticosteroids may increase urinary potassium excretion. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to supplementing potassium for patients. Calcium channel blockers: have antihypertensive effects and antagonize bronchial smooth muscle contraction, inhibit mast cell rupture, may enhance the bronchodilator effect of beta-agonists.

The treatment of hypertension in patients with bronchial asthma is challenging because some antihypertensive drugs can aggravate asthma. Some antihypertensive drugs can cause bronchospasm such as beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors,... Besides, diuretics and calcium channel blockers are safe antihypertensive drugs for patients. bronchial asthma.
To screen and detect asthma early, you can sign up for the Asthma Screening Package at Vinmec International General Hospital. The examination package helps to screen for early detection of disease for timely control and treatment, perform clinical examination, take medical history, measure respiratory function, otolaryngological examination and screening for bronchial asthma.
The package is currently being deployed at the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Clinic - Vinmec Times City International Hospital. Address: 458 Minh Khai, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi.