Should Blood Pressure Medication Be Taken Continuously for High Blood Pressure?

For patients with hypertension, if a clear diagnosis of hypertension has been made, antihypertensive medications typically need to be taken continuously. Hypertension requires medication for control, and abrupt discontinuation of antihypertensive drugs may lead to damage to target organs and complications. Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, and/or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher, with three non-consecutive measurements exceeding normal values. It includes both primary and secondary hypertension, which are generally not fully curable clinically. Patients require long-term administration of long-acting antihypertensive drugs to control their blood pressure. Depending on the patient's condition, one or more than two antihypertensive drugs may be selected to adjust blood pressure. Representative drugs include benazepril hydrochloride, metoprolol tartrate, nifedipine, etc.

If a hypertensive patient suddenly discontinues their antihypertensive medication, they may experience hypertensive emergencies, leading to damage to target organs and complications. Target organ damage includes ventricular hypertrophy, carotid atherosclerosis plaque formation, renal dysfunction with the presence of proteinuria. Complications can include cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, renal failure, retinopathy, among others, which can cause severe damage to the patient's health and even threaten their life.

Hypertensive patients should follow their doctor's instructions for medication use, and should not reduce the dosage or discontinue medication on their own. Additionally, they should regularly return to the hospital for follow-up visits.