title: Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid and blood pressure control in drug-treated hypertensive patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase blood pressure (BP) and potentially reduce the efficacy of several antihypertensive drugs. We evaluated the effect of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on BP control in drug-treated hypertensive patients in a primary care population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine hundred and five successive patients aged 25–91 years (mean 65.5 years) from 15 health centers in south-west Finland were studied. The patients were on antihypertensive monotherapy (45.7%) or on combination therapy (54.3%). Office BP was measured twice with a 2-min interval after at least a 10-min rest using an ordinary sphygmomanometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients receiving ASA (n = 246) showed lower diastolic BP (83.9 ± 9.0 vs. 87.0 ± 9.6 mmHg; P < 0.001) compared with those who were not using any NSAIDs (n = 659). No significant difference in systolic BP was observed between the groups. As a result, pulse pressure was slightly higher in the ASA group (66.9 ± 18.9 vs. 63.3 ± 17.7 mmHg, P = 0.01). Mean arterial pressure was lower in the ASA group (106.2 ± 10.6 vs. 108.1 ± 10.4 mmHg, P = 0.02). In a stepwise linear multivariate model, ASA remained a significant predictor of lower diastolic BP even after the adjustment with the confounding effects of age and sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our population-based study low-dose ASA does not have deleterious effects on BP control in drug-treated hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: Turku University Hospital, Department of Medicine, University of Turku, Faculty of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Finland. veli-matti.leinonen@utu.fi
authors.forename: Veli-Matti
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varis
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vesalainen
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Päivärinta
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sillanpää
authors.forename: Ilkka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kantola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D019722:Sphygmomanometers; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001241:Aspirin