Chris and Jonathan speak to Dr. Swapnil Hiremath, a hypertension specialist and staff nephrologist at the Ottawa Hospital. As they discuss high blood pressure and how to treat it, they make their way to a highly contentious clinical trial, the Hygia trial, which allegedly compared two times of day when to take blood pressure medication. Its results are a little too perfect to be believed.

 

3:35 What is high blood pressure and what is “essential” hypertension?

8:34 The two numbers of blood pressure

10:45 How antihypertensive drugs work

13:38 How our body metabolizes a drug

17:30 The intense debate over when to take blood pressure medication

21:59 The contentious Hygia trial

32:47 Is the Hygia trial… the Hygia project?

35:02 Considering fraud

41:21 The best time to take medication

44:38 “One simple trick to reduce your risk of heart attacks by 60%!”

 

* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl.

 

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Links:

1) Swapnil Hiremath on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hswapnil

2) The nephrology journal club: https://www.nephjc.com/

3) Swapnil Hiremath’s podcast: https://www.nephjc.com/freelyfiltered