Advair and High Blood Pressure

It is generally recommended that people who have high blood pressure use caution while taking Advair. Although clinical studies involving Advair and high blood pressure did not show high blood pressure to be a side effect of the medication, one of the active ingredients in Advair (salmeterol) may increase blood pressure. Therefore, be sure to have your blood pressure checked more often than normally required if you have a history of high blood pressure and are taking Advair.

 

An Overview of Advair and High Blood Pressure

Advair® (fluticasone and salmeterol) is a prescription medication used to treat airway spasms (called bronchospasms) caused by asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Advair comes in two forms, the Advair Diskus® and the Advair® HFA inhaler. The Advair Diskus is approved for the treatment of both asthma and COPD, while the Advair HFA inhaler is approved only for asthma. One of the medications contained in Advair, salmeterol, is part of a class of medications known as beta-adrenergic agonists, or beta agonists for short. Since beta agonists can increase blood pressure, they should be used with caution in people with high blood pressure (hypertension).
 

Understanding High Blood Pressure

A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers -- for example, 120/80. The top number is known as the systolic blood pressure and the bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure. High blood pressure is defined as an average blood pressure higher than 140/90, with multiple blood pressure readings. High blood pressure can increase the risk of developing health problems, such as a stroke, heart disease, or congestive heart failure, which can occur with long-term high blood pressure (see Effects of High Blood Pressure).
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;