Researchers in a large study of people taking blood pressure medication found that frequent fluctuations in blood pressure may signal an increased risk of heart disease and early death. The findings of the study were published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers during the study studied people taking blood pressure medication. They found variation of more than 14 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure readings. They linked this to a 25 % increased risk of heart failure.

Lead researcher Paul Muntner, a professor of epidemiology at the University Of Alabama School Of Public Health at Birmingham, said in a statement that patients should have a check on their blood pressure. They should be aware about their blood pressure changes, and if they find a lot of variations then they must have a talk with their doctor about why it is changing so frequently.

Muntner said a person should take these fluctuations seriously as these variations may be a sign of increasing damage to the arteries, particularly stiffening.

According to the American Heart Association, one in three US adults has high blood pressure. Researchers for the study analyzed data from a major trial involving the use of medicines to fight high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

As the study's findings are based on an analysis of data from a large study, Muntner stressed on the point that they can only show an association between heart disease, death and blood pressure variations, not a direct cause- and-effect relationship.

Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles stated that some further studies are still needed to evaluate effective strategies for reducing variability in blood pressure and the potential harms associated with it.