Inc Blood Pressure

Lower Blood Pressure At Any Cost? - 5 Hypertension Myths

Even more alarmingly, it is afflicting an increasing number of young people, some as young as 12 years old. So it's not surprising that hypertension medications are among the 10 most frequently prescribed drugs.

With an issue of such importance, it's critical to get the facts right and to keep things in perspective. Unfortunately, a number of myths have developed around hypertension. Here are five of the most common and potentially damaging misconceptions:

Myth 1: High blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Not necessarily. There is no direct connection between high blood pressure and heart problems. In a recent article for the Virginia Hopkins Health Watch, John R. Lee, M.D. writes: "heart problems (due to high blood pressure) are not correlated with any specific or absolute blood pressure reading; it is correlated with an observed rise in blood pressure from whatever the earlier blood pressure was".(italics mine)

In other words, if your blood pressure is normally around 120/80 and rises to 140/90 your risk of heart problems is about the same as that of someone whose blood pressure increases from 140/90 to 160/90. It also means that if your blood pressure is a steady 160/90 and shows no sign of rising, it is not a sign of impending heart disease without other risk factors involved.

Myth 2: "Normal", healthy blood pressure is in the range of 120/70. Pressure above 130/80 is either high blood pressure or "pre-hypertension".

What is normal? For a long time the medical standard for high blood pressure was considered 140/90 and this was further moderated by age. But suddenly the standard was changed. Now some doctors call even 130/80 "high blood pressure" and many others consider it "pre-hypertension". New medications to treat "pre-hypertension" are even underway!

The fact is that blood pressure varies widely among healthy people and usually increases with age. Many things can increase blood pressure including over-the-counter and prescription medications, stress and over-indulgence in alcohol.

Add to this the fact that blood pressure varies, sometimes significantly, at different times of the day. Then there's the notorious white-coat syndrome whereby the stress of a doctor's visit shows up as high blood pressure while readings taken relaxing at home can be "normal".

These examples all go to show that just getting an accurate reading can be difficult enough, let alone setting normal and abnormal levels for a wide range of different people.

Myth 3. If you are hypertensive you must severely restrict or eliminate salt (or sodium) from your diet.

Not true. Salt is unfairly blamed for causing high blood pressure. Salt, or sodium, is not the culprit. It's an imbalance of sodium, magnesium and potassium in our diet that knocks our blood chemistry out of kilter and thus contributes to hypertension.

The problem is that many processed and junk foods are high in salt but deficient in magnesium and potassium. This is compounded when you add table salt to your already salty bacon at breakfast.

But the answer is not to become paranoid about salt but to eat whole, natural foods (and you can even take that with a grain of salt!). Grains, vegetables, fruit, meat and fish in their natural state contain more balanced amounts of sodium, magnesium and potassium. Simply eating a healthy diet of whole foods can have a dramatic effect on blood pressure. Hypertension is almost unknown among the few remaining peoples that still eat in this way.

Myth 4. Taking blood pressure medications is better than the alternative.

Only in a minority of cases and as a last resort!

It's no surprise when you hear natural health gurus claim that drugs are worse than the disease. But you really take notice when it's a medical doctor saying it! That's exactly the case when Dr. Lee writes in the same article quoted above: "I don't like anti-hypertensive drugs because their side effects are often worse than the high blood pressure they're prescribed to treat." (his bolding) He goes on to say: "conventional physicians tend to prescribe anti-hypertension drugs any time blood pressure readings fall outside of so-called normal ranges. This is unjustified, and probably does more harm than good in the long run".

All categories of blood pressure drugs have side effects and these have been minimized by doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. For example, some hypertension medications can contribute to ischemia whereby tissues are damaged due to insufficient blood supply. Others cause erectile dysfunction. Still others can result in low blood pressure, which has implications just as serious as high blood pressure. These are only some of the potential dangers of blood pressure medication. See Dr. Lee's article for a more complete discussion.

Myth 5. Lifestyle changes are not usually enough to reverse high blood pressure. Therefore, prompt drug intervention is advisable.

Exactly the opposite is true. The best way to maintain healthy blood pressure is always through lifestyle, including diet and exercise. If you are seriously overweight or out of shape, if you smoke or over-drink, or if you're under severe stress, a positive change in these factors is bound to have a dramatic effect on your blood pressure, regardless of how high it is.

The problem is that many doctors have come to believe that their patients are unlikely to make the changes needed. This is one of the reasons they over-prescribe medications or intervene too quickly. It's almost become a preventive measure for them. But the fact is that most people will make the effort to improve their lifestyles if given the right support (and especially if given accurate information about the side effects and dangers of hypertension drugs!).

In the rare case in which your blood pressure fails to respond to lifestyle improvements it's time to look beyond the usual suspects such as weight and diet. There are several other areas that are rarely examined but which can wreak havok on your blood pressure. For example, are you suffering from hidden stress? Some people have been chronically stressed for so long they don't even recognize it any longer. It's become their "natural" state.

What about your breathing? Yes, your breathing! Often together with high stress, people develop what some experts are calling "inhibitory breathing". It constricts blood vessels by increasing muscle tension and may also unbalance blood chemistry. A new technique called slow breathing with music can do wonders to lower blood pressure through breathing.

It just goes to show that there's more to lifestyle than you may think. If you are frustrated that your changes are not making a difference you may need to dig deeper.

Conclusions:

1. High blood pressure is a serious condition that demands attention but there's no need to panic, especially if otherwise healthy. A significant and sustained rise in your blood pressure is of much greater concern than the actual numbers themselves.

2. There is a wide range of healthy blood pressure. Watch out for white-coat syndrome and determine your normal blood pressure in a relaxed state. Then watch out for sustained increases from this level.

3. It's not about salt. There are no "evil" or "miracle" foods! Eat a balanced and varied diet of whole, natural foods. A modest magnesium supplement of 300 to 400 mg might not be a bad idea either.

4. If you are healthy and have no other risk factors, take medications only as a last resort. Give lifestyle at least a six-month chance. Don't ignore medical advice but if your doctor is too rigid seek a second opinion.

5. Healthy blood pressure is maintained through lifestyle. If your blood pressure is a problem then something is almost certainly out of whack. Look deeper if you don't find an obvious answer.

David O'Hara is a researcher in the field of natural health and blood pressure control. Click here to learn more about lower blood pressure through lifestyle.

 

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Lose Weight With 7-Keto DHEA

According to Henry Lardy, PhD, of the National Academy of Sciences, 7-KETO DHEA offers the potential benefits of DHEA without the risks. 7-KETO DHEA is a natural metabolite of DHEA. After DHEA is converted to the 7-KETO form it can no longer be converted into a form used to make the sex hormones that increase cancer risks.

In preliminary studies on animals, 7-Keto DHEA stimulates the immune system, prevents the loss of lean muscle mass ,reduces stress, increases the rate of caloric utilization by activating thermogenic liver enzymes and improves memory more than DHEA or a placebo. We will show you how 7-Keto DHEA can be used to help you quickly lose weight.

7-Keto DHEA is an active metabolite of DHEA. It is a steroidal hormone that was discovered in the 1950s but received little research attention until the 1990s. Henry Lardy and his collaborators at the University of Wisconsin are currently studying this and related compounds for use in fat reduction, memory enhancement, immune system regulation, skin rejuvenation, dermatitis treatment, and wasting syndrome.

The term 7-Keto DHEA is the brand name for the chemical compound 3-acetyl-7-oxo-dehydroepiandros-terone, a naturally occurring metabolite primarily produced in the adrenal glands . This compound was first discovered in 1958, when it was isolated in urine.

Human blood levels of 7-Keto follow the same course over time as those of DHEA, rising until about the age 20 and then slowly descending beginning around the age of 30. Urinary excretion studies show that average blood concentrations of 7-Keto decline nearly 50% by age 50.

“This reduction in 7-Keto levels is partially responsible for the increases in body fat and total body weight often seen in older people,” notes Dr. Sergey Dzugan, president of Life Extension Scientific Information, Inc. “This decline also plays a role in the weakened immune function that is indicative of the aging process. Moreover, since DHEA and 7-Keto DHEA levels decline more rapidly rate than cortisol, this creates a period of cortisol dominance that can wreak havoc on the immune system, since cortisol is known as an immune system depressant. For these reasons, supplementation with 7-Keto is often recommended.”

7-Keto DHEA produces fat reduction through the process of thermogenesis. This term refers to heat creation.  Increased levels of  thermogenesis  causes the metabolic rate to be elevated, which results in the conversion of stored fat into energy.

7-Keto DHEA enhances the activity of three thermogenic enzymes that stimulate fatty acid oxidation in the liver. These thermogenic enhancing enzymes are fatty acyl CoA oxidase, malic enzyme, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.6,10-12. These enzymes cause the liver cells to burn fatty acids for energy, which causes a reduction of triglycerides in the liver.

Supplementation with 7-Keto has a dramatic effect on boosting levels of these thermogenic-enhancing enzymes.  A study published in Current Therapeutic Research revealed just how effective 7-Keto is in inducing rapid weight loss. In this randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study, thirty overweight adults were divided into two groups. Group 1 received 100 mg of 7-Keto twice daily for eight weeks, while group 2 took a matching placebo capsule. Subjects participated in an exercise program three times a week that consisted of one hour of aerobic and non-aerobic training under the supervision of an exercise physiologist. Additionally, each subject was instructed to follow an 1800-calorie per day diet. The subjects underwent testing for blood chemistry, body composition, blood pressure, and dietary analysis at baseline and at weeks four and eight.

Researchers found that the 7-Keto group lost a statistically significant amount of body weight in comparison to the placebo group. 6.3 versus 2.1 pounds. The 7-Keto group also lost a greater percentage of body fat compared to the placebo group.  1.8% versus 0.57%.   No adverse effects were reported. The results show that 7-Keto can significantly and safely reduce body weight and body fat when combined with exercise and a reduced-calorie diet. This is due to the greatly increased levels of fat-burning enzymes in the liver as well as the elevation of thyroid hormone. These beneficial changes are known to boost basal metabolic rate, making it easier to shed excess pounds. Supplementation with 7-Keto DHEA can help to reverse the decline in metabolic rate that causes weight gain with increasing age. Unlike caffeine and ephedrine, 7-Keto does not have a central nervous system stimulating effect caused by nor-adrenalin release, nor does 7-Keto increase heart rate or blood pressure.

Aging is associated with a decline in immune system response, with often-dramatic reductions in immune function. This gives rise to increased susceptibility to infections.  A study at the Minnesota Applied Research Center and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center in Minneapolis found that four weeks of 7-Keto DHEA supplementation improved immune function in elderly men and women.  In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 22 women and 20 men over the age of 65 took 100 mg of 7-Keto DHEA twice daily or a placebo of identical shape and size. Patients in the 7-Keto group had a statistically significant decrease in immune suppressor cells and a significant increase in immune T-cell helper cells.  The scientists concluded that 7-Keto was well tolerated and had no serious adverse effects.

migraines answer fast {PLEASE]?

is ithise a miagraine I have had a headack for 9 days now. It started last week the symptoms was slurred speech, confusion, and blood pressure was 138 over 94 my waight is 174 I am 4 foot 11 inc. and know I am having shortness of breath fixing to go to doc. maybe someone is going though what I am going though I am not sick at my stomach. My neck hurts

Please seek medical attention immediately. Slurred speech, and confusion are serious conditions along with the migraine. Please see your Doctor....

The case of the shrinking stent (Biz Journal)

Medical researchers are examining a potential flaw in some drug-coated stents
that can cause them to shrink and weaken. Bloomberg Businessweek reports on
the complication — the technical term is longitudinal compression — which has
the potential to affect the $4 billion market for drug-coated stents made by
Medtronic Inc., Boston Scientific Corp. and others. As stents have grown
smaller, some aren't able to handle the pressure within blood vessels.
Medtronic says that its stents hold up well...

Biz Journal

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