Bipolar Linked to High Blood Pressure?

[Phyllis]

According to a new study,  about half of those patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder also have high blood pressure.  In addition, the younger they are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the more likely they are to develop high blood pressure.

The study also revealed that patients with high blood pressure suffered from higher levels of abnormally elevated moods called mania, which are characterized by feelings of euphoria, lack of inhibitions, racing thoughts, severe insomnia, pressured speech, risk taking, increased libido and irritability.  Patients with bipolar disorder alternate between periods of mania and depression.

The significance of the research findings, according to author Dale D'Mello, a Michigan State University professor, is that there might be some relationship between what causes the two conditions.  "They both can be triggered by stress and are tied to the excretion of norepinephrine, a hormone affecting how the brain reacts to stress," said D'Mello.

D'Mello also suggested that it is important to look for and treat high blood pressure in bipolar patients.  There is "some evidence hypertension may lead to brain lesions," said D'Mello.  "Diagnosing high blood pressure and treating it earlier may change the medical outcome for people battling bipolar disorders."

The next step, according to D'Mello, is to discover how the two conditions interact long-term.

D'Mello presented his findings during the American Psychiatric Association's 2010 annual meeting in New Orleans.

[Paz]

 Did the people that they studied have the high blood pressure before taking meds? Or is it a side effect from a med? My blood pressure has always been low...though when I was on a lot of meds it went up slightly. It has been low since stopping most of the meds.