Blood Pressure News & Information

Beetroot Juice Lowers Blood Pressure

2008-02-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

Have you heard the latest treatment for lowering your blood pressure?

A study in the journal Hypertension (online Feb. 4) showed that two cups (500 ml) of beet juice lowered blood pressure by approximately 10 points. That is better than many prescription drugs. The effect lasts up to 24 hours.

Beets are high in dietary nitrate and increase the amount of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide (NO) helps blood vessels relax, lowering blood pressure.

Talk to your doctor about this option and if it could help you too.

For more research and other self help suggestions, check out the directories under 'My Links' at the side of the page.

Happy thoughts can lower blood pressure

2008-01-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

There could be a simple solution to lowering your blood pressure. Read this article for more information on this research.

"The prescription to lower your blood pressure may be as simple as this: Don't worry. Be happy.A study by University of Texas Medical Branch faculty members links positive emotions to lower blood pressure. Dr. Glenn Ostir of UTMB said patients were asked questions about their happiness and optimism levels at the same time their blood pressure was taken. "Those who were happier seemed to have lower blood pressure," he said. "Positive emotions tend to be associated with a reduced risk of heart attack or stroke." While the study focused on 2,500 Mexican Americans 65 and older, Ostir said he has no reason to believe this treatment wouldn't work for other ethnic groups as well.If you can control your emotional well-being and lower your blood pressure, the theory is you could prevent a heart attack or stroke.While Ostir stops short of saying happy people don't have heart attacks or strokes, he did say positive emotions tend to be associated with a reduced risk of these diseases.The study also found that targeting the emotional health of older adults might be used as part of non-medication treatment, saving elderly patients money on prescriptions.The Bright SideFaith Casanova of Galveston is disabled and has other ailments to deal with, but she tries to look on the bright side of life.The 72-year-old Jehovah's Witness said she spends her time thinking about the good things and the positive teachings of her religion. "I focus on the resurrection, hope, future and paradise here on earth," she said."
Source: http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=0fe011b36864d8e5&

Chiropractor Fixes High Blood Pressure!

2008-01-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

Extremely interesting information here! Who would have thought a chiropractor could affect your cholesterol levels! Read on!

"Millions of Americans have high blood pressure and turn to medication for help controlling it, but a trip to the chiropractor could be what the doctor ordered. Doctor Marshall Dickholtz has been fixing spines for five decades. He focuses his attention on the top bone of the spine at the base of the brain called the atlas. Dickholtz says, "When you have a pinched brain stem, it closes out your arteries. If the arteries close down, the blood pressure has to be higher to go through those arteries." Dickholtz says a misaligned atlas will raise blood pressure. He has a machine that checks alignment, and after checking x-rays, Dickholtz know just what to do. The treatment seems to be helping. A recent study out of Chicago reports a 17-point drop in blood pressure after the realignment."
Source: http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=3910&type=top

For more news like this, check out the "Health Directory" under "My Favourite Links".

High Blood Pressure for Dummies

2008-01-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

Aren't those "....for dummies" books great. And now I've heard there is a new one out "High Blood Pressure for Dummies". If your blood pressure is at 140/90 or higher, then you are at risk for heart disease and stroke. Various lifestyle changes can help you keep your blood pressure under control and that is what this book looks at - losing weight, exercising, cutting back the salt. It will even tell you how to get a more accurate blood pressure measurement.

Check your local book store for a copy.

Generic beta blockers may lead to problems

2008-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a question I found in an article relating to generic branded blood pressure medication. I thought it could be of use to someone out there. Definitely worth discussing this with your GP or pharmacist.

Article source: http://www.charlotte.com/162/story/427470.html

"Q. My doctor prescribed Toprol-XL several years ago, and it worked well. Last week, my pharmacist refilled my prescription with generic metoprolol succinate. Two days later, my blood pressure shot sky-high to 190/100. Luckily, I found some leftover pills of the brand name Toprol-XL. My blood pressure came down to 140/90 -- high but OK. Is there a problem with this new generic?

Toprol-XL (metoprolol) is a slow-release beta blocker prescribed to control high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms. Many other readers have reported rapid heart rate and higher blood pressure after switching to some generic forms of metoprolol succinate.

One patient experienced pounding headaches with blood pressure of 225/125 after one week on metoprolol.

We urge anyone having a problem with a generic drug to discuss the problem with the prescriber."

Taking Blood Pressure Pills at Night May Be Better for Some

2007-12-18T02:34:00.000-08:00

A good tip here for anyone taking blood pressure medication. May as well do everything we can to help those medications help us even more. So start taking your pills before bed and you may benefit.

Read this article for more information or check out the 'Health Directory' under 'My Favourite Links' for similar articles.

Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317170,00.html

"Taking a blood pressure pill at bedtime instead of in the morning might be healthier for some high-risk people.

New research suggests that simple switch may normalize patterns of blood pressure in patients at extra risk from the twin epidemics of heart and kidney disease.

Why? When it comes to blood pressure, you want to be a dipper. In healthy people, blood pressure dips at night, by 10 to 20 percent. Scientists don't know why, but suspect the drop gives arteries a little rest.

People with high blood pressure that doesn't dip at night ; the non-dippers ; fare worse than other hypertension sufferers, developing more serious heart disease. Moreover, heart and kidney disease fuel each other ; and the 26 million Americans with chronic kidney disease seem most prone to non-dipping."

Linking Players In Blood Pressure Control To Metabolic Syndrome

2007-12-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article I found, albeit a bit complicated! But I thought it was interesting research and looks like the drugs used to control blood pressure will also assist in reducing the risk of other diseases. Good news.

Article Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/90780.php

A new study elucidates the connection between an enzyme involved in blood pressure control and symptoms of the metabolic syndrome. The researchers report in the December issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press, that mice lacking the enzyme known as renin are lean and resistant to gaining weight on a high-fat diet, even though they continue to eat just as much and don't exercise more.

The findings suggest that renin-blocking drugs designed for treating high blood pressure might also improve obesity and insulin resistance, according to the researchers. Renin plays an important rate-limiting role in the production of a hormone called angiotensin II (Ang II) that increases blood pressure by constricting blood vessels.

"An overactive renin-angiotensin system has also been associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome," said Nobuyuki Takahashi of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Study: high blood pressure boosts Alzheimer's risk

2007-12-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Now here's another good reason to keep taking that blood pressure medication! Interesting article!

Source: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6312161.html

Alzheimer's patients with high blood pressure, which reduces blood flow to the brain, are more vulnerable to the effects of the disease, researchers reported Wednesday.

Researchers using a magnetic resonance imaging technique to measure blood flow in the brains of 68 older adults found cerebral blood flow was substantially decreased in all patients with high blood pressure and was the lowest in Alzheimer's patients with high blood pressure.

"What we think may be happening is hypertension reflects an extra hit to the brain," said Cyrus Raji of the University of Pittsburgh, who led the study.

The study compared Alzheimer patients to adults with normal cognitive function and a group with mild cognitive impairment, defined as a transitional stage between dementia and normal, age-related deficits in language, attention and reasoning.

Less salt means lower blood pressure

2007-11-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

I guess this is something we have all heard, but it's nice to have a study to prove it.

Article source: http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=438010

"Simply avoiding pre-salted foods and not adding salt to foods can result in a modest but statistically significant reduction in blood pressure, study findings suggest.

A modest reduction in dietary salt, measured by sodium content in the urine by about 35 per cent and lowered daytime blood pressure by 12.1 mm Hg systolic and 6.8 mm Hg diastolic in patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) not taking anti-hypertensive medications, reports Dr Javad Kojuri. Blood pressure readings at night were slightly lower.

Kojuri and Dr Rahim Rahimi, both from Shiraz University in Iran, assessed blood pressure and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion in 60 individuals before and after instructing them to follow a 'no salt added' diet for 6 weeks.

Twenty subjects who did not follow the diet were used as a comparison group ("controls")."

Blood Pressure Harder to Treat in Winter

2007-11-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article I came across regarding treating blood pressure in winter. Looks like we should be glad summer's on it's way here in Australia!

Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,308480,00.html

Blood Pressure Tougher to Treat in Winter, Study Says

"If you're being treated for high blood pressure, the condition may be tougher to control during the winter months, according to a new study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The five-year study focused on the health records of more than 440,000 U.S. military veterans from 15 V.A.hospitals across the country. Researchers found veterans treated in the winter were less likely to see their blood pressure return to normal levels compared to those treated in the summer.

"The bottom line is that regardless of whether you're in Anchorage, Alaska or San Juan, Puerto Rico, there is a difference in high blood pressure returning to normal in the winter compared to the summer," said Dr. Ross D. Fletcher, lead researcher and chief of staff at the V.A. Medical Center in Washington, D.C., in a news release."

Vaccine Lowers Blood Pressure

2007-11-12T16:56:00.000-08:00

An experimental vaccine may someday free people with high blood pressure from having to swallow their medication every day.

In a new study, systolic blood pressure (the top number) fell 6 points in volunteers injected with the vaccine. Diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) dropped 3 points.

The vaccine also unexpectedly blunted the surge in blood pressure that typically occurs between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m, says Juerg Nussberger, MD, a professor of medicine at University Hospital of the Canton of Vaud in Lausanne, Switzerland.

That's important because most heart attacks and strokes occur in the morning, he tells WebMD.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA).

If this vaccine became available, would you try it? Why or why not? Talk with others on the Hypertension: Support Group message board.)

Blood Pressure Vaccine Could Improve Compliance - AHA President Daniel Jones, MD, of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, tells WebMD that the vaccine shows promise for improving control of blood pressure.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20071106/vaccine-lowers-blood-pressure?src=RSS_PUBLIC