Summary of Widely Used Blood Pressure Medications Fail To Protect Against Delirium:
According to a study by researchers from Regenstrief Institute and US universities, blood pressure medications such as ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are ineffective in preventing ICU-acquired delirium. The research analyzed the electronic health records of 4,791 racially diverse patients and found that taking the medications for at least six months before ICU admission did not protect against delirium. The finding is significant as delirium, characterized by confusion, U.S.isorientation, and changes in perception, can have severe consequences, including prolonged hospital and ICU stays, long-term cognitive impairment, and increased risk of death.
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Blood Pressure Medications No Help in Preventing Delirium Acquired in ICU: Study Finds
Introduction:
Delirium, an acute failure of the brain, can occur due to a medical condition such as an injury or substance abuse. It is characterized by confusion, disorientation, and changes in perception. According to a recent study conducted by Regenstrief Institute and the universities of South Carolina and Indiana, the most widely used blood pressure medications, when taken for a minimum of six months before being admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), did not protect against delirium in the ICU.
The Study and Its Findings:
The observational study of the electronic health records of 4,791 racially diverse patients showed that taking these blood pressure medications for at least six months before admission to an ICU did not provide enough protective benefit or generate enough brain resilience to prevent delirium. The study found that drug classes commonly used to regulate blood pressure are not effective in preventing fever acquired in the ICU. The study’s findings were not influenced by the patient’s age, gender, race, pre-existing health conditions, or insurance coverage.
Impact of Delirium:
Each year, approximately seven million hospitalized patients in the U.S. are impacted by delirium. This condition is linked to prolonged hospital stays in U.S.ICU, increased use of mechanical ventilation, long-lasting cognitive problems, the need for placement in a nursing home, and a higher risk of death. The more severe and longer-lasting the delirium, the worse the post-discharge cognitive and functional outcomes are likely.
Drugs Prescribed for Delirium:
In another work that looked at a pharmacological approach to delirium, Dr. Babar Khan, senior author of the study, was a co-author of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2018, which found that commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs did not alter the duration of delirium.
Future Research:
In the continued quest to identify therapies to prevent or manage delirium, Dr. Khan and fellow Regenstrief Institute and IU School of Medicine faculty member Sikandar Khan, D.O., M.S., are currently collabI.U.ating with the Mayo Clinic on a multi-site study tD.O.teM.S.e if a specially designed music intervention can reduce the likelihood of mechanically ventilated older adult ICU patients developing delirium and can also improve post-ICU brain health.
Conclusion:
Chronic high blood pressure, which ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can successfully lower, is one of the risk factors for ICU-acquired delirium. The study of blood pressure medications represents ongoing efforts to understand the role of vascular risk factors in agitation. The long-term goal is to understand how different biological processes in aging, such as blood pressure, inflammation, etc., interact, eventually leading to rage and dementia.
