High blood pressure remains to be a major health concern in the Philippines, as, often, it does not show any symptom—hence its title the “Silent Killer.” In fact, a 2007 survey by the Philippine Heart Association revealed that 25 percent of adults in the country with hypertension were unaware of their condition.
This condition, if left unmanaged, could significantly increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, aneurysm, and renal failure.
However, experts assert, with lifestyle changes and regular exercise, the burden of this ailment can be reduced; and though it cannot be cured, hypertension can be managed with the use of anti-hypertensive medications such as RAS blockers, calcium channel blockers, and beta-blockers.
How do beta-blockers work
When arteries become stiff or clogged, the heart needs to work harder. An overworked heart can become larger than normal, causing the walls of the heart muscle to weaken and underperform. This inability to properly pump blood could eventually result in a heart attack or heart failure.
Beta-blockers slow down the heart rate and temporarily reduce the body’s natural fight or flight response. They help reduce stress on the heart and on the blood vessels in the brain, consequently lowering blood pressure. This can then help protect afflicted individuals against a heart attack and can improve the condition of those suffering with heart failure.
Beta-blockers also block the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline in the brain, which activate the fight-or-flight response during stress. Too much adrenaline would lead to an abnormal increase in heart rate and blood pressure even when at rest. These medications help tone down this stress-response, resulting in a lower heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Nebivolol is one of the newer generations of beta-blockers that act to lower blood pressure by widening the diameter of arteries to help lower patients’ blood pressure.
Data confirm new beta-blockers’ efficacy
According to the Benefit Korea study, which uses real-world data in action to provide essential information for people with hypertension, patients who had regular intake of 5mg of nebivolol daily significantly lowered their blood pressure in 12 weeks.
The study also confirmed that patients with concurrent medical conditions like dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes tolerated the drug well after daily intake. In addition, it also demonstrated the efficacy of nebivolol in reducing blood pressure, regardless if it was used as initial therapy, as an add-on, or as a switch for other anti-hypertensive medications.
Menarini Asia-Pacific conducted the real-world data analysis of more than 3,200 patients in a real-world setting to ensure that nebivolol remains efficient and effective for hypertensive patients in the region.
The pharmaceutical company said the promising result of Benefit Korea’s study confirms that nebivolol is safe and effective and may be administered to patients in the region with hypertension, regardless of current anti-hypertensive therapy and co-morbidities, by a qualified doctor after assessment.