Study links missed blood pressure medication to increased cardiovascular risks

A study presented at the ESC Congress 2026 reveals that missing doses of blood pressure medication significantly reduces its effectiveness in preventing heart attacks and strokes. Researchers analyzed data from 91,339 participants across nine clinical trials to assess the impact of medication adherence.

The findings indicate that patients who consistently took their medication experienced an 11% reduction in major cardiovascular events. In contrast, those who missed too many doses saw little to no measurable benefit. The study categorized adherence based on an 80% threshold, noting that even in structured clinical trial settings, patient consistency tended to decline over time.

Hypertension affects an estimated 1.4 billion adults worldwide between the ages of 30 and 79. While antihypertensive medications are proven to reduce cardiovascular complications, approximately half of all patients do not follow their prescriptions as directed.