About high blood pressure

High blood pressure? Here's how to lower it naturally

High blood pressure: The silent killer

Tips to control high blood pressure
Study links high blood pressure to memory trouble

**************

High blood pressure? Here's how to lower it naturally
ALINA ISLAM

Take out 10-15 minutes per day where you focus on deep breathing. —Reuters

Every time a Pakistani parent or elder tells you that you’re “giving them high blood pressure”, there’s a one in three chance that they’re actually correct and it’s not the melodrama talking.
According to a statement made by Margaret Chan, Director of the World Health Organisation, 18 per cent of adults, and 33 per cent of adults above 45 years old in Pakistan have hypertension. Unfortunately, only 50 per cent of those are diagnosed and half of those diagnosed are treated.
That means only 12.5 per cent of cases are adequately being controlled. We need to do what we can to fill the gaps.
Firstly, let’s talk about the definition of high blood pressure. From a measurement perspective, a blood pressure reading of 120/80 mmHG is considered normal, and a reading of 135/85 mmHG becomes cause for concern, as it is classified as borderline high blood pressure.
From a pathological perspective (i.e. what’s really happening inside your body), high blood pressure refers to the high pressure that is exerted against artery walls when the heart pumps blood around the body. This high pressureoccurs when arteries become narrow or constricted, or when the blood volume increases.
Given the well known association of high blood pressure with salt intake and mental stress, it should be no surprise to most readers that high blood pressure is largely caused by lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise and stress.
This is the key to reversing the condition.
If you’ve read my previous article on “Why we shouldn’t be popping pills long-term”, you’ll know that I’m an advocate of finding the root cause behind an issue, instead of solely relying on pills for treatment.
Pills will help you manage current symptoms, but it won’t prevent them from happening again in the future.
Let’s take a look at some of the main causes of high blood pressure and address each one with specific action items you can take starting today:

Excessive calorie consumption
• Aim for smaller portions at mealtimes, in particular when it comes to meat, bread and rice. A meat serving should be no more than the size of your palm (two for men), a grain or starch no more than a cupped hand (two for men), and replace the rest of the calories with vegetables.
• Studies have shown that weight loss leads to significant improvement and also reduces the number of prescription drugs a person needs to take.

High sodium-to-potassium ratio
• Potassium and sodium have an antagonistic relationship and are kept within careful balance to regulate the water and salt balance in our bodies. If one increases, the other is forced to decrease. For example, if you have too much sodium, doctors will often prescribe a therapeutic dose of potassium to cause cells to release sodium to be excreted through urine. Some easy ways to incorporate more potassium in the diet include eating more bananas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, dates and coconut water!
• Eliminate table salt and when needed, swap it for sea salt or Himalayan pink salt. The former only has two minerals, sodium and chloride, whereas the latter has over 70 trace minerals that are essential for proper nerve and cardiovascular function, and less sodium. Excess sodium causes water retention and raises blood volume.

Diet low in fibre, calcium, magnesium and Vitamin C
• At every mealtime, ensure that half of your plate is full of vegetables.
• Darky leafy greens are an excellent source of these nutrients, in particular magnesium, as this is the central atom in chlorophyll (plant blood), similar to how iron is the central atom in human blood.
• Processed food (i.e. cookies, chips, crackers) is void of nutrients and fibre, and high in salt and sugar. Aim to swap this with more fresh fruit and vegetables, which has been shown to lower blood pressure.

High consumption of saturated vs. Omega 3 fats
• More than 60 double-blind studies have shown that fish oil supplements are effective in lowering blood pressure.
• Take 3000mg of combined EPA and DHA per day (typically equivalent to 1 Tbsp. of fish oil) to see a reduction of approximately 2 mmHG.
• Include more Omega 3 in your diet, include fish, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, flax, and chia seeds.

Stress
• Take out 10-15 minutes per day where you focus on deep breathing (approximately six breaths per minute). Either do this at home or if you require an extra push, sign up for a yoga class.
• Studies have shown that shallow breathing leads to retention of sodium in the body, whereas deep, slow breathing improves oxygen saturation, exercise tolerance and blood pressure monitoring by the body’s pressure sensors.

Lack of exercise
• Research has shown that as little as 20 minutes of mild to moderate activity three times per week can lower blood pressure.
• Clinical trials involving patients with hypertension have established regular exercise as an effective treatment for high blood pressure.

Aside from the guidelines above, below are some specific natural remedies that have been clinically proven to lower blood pressure:
• Celery contains a compound called 3-n-butylphthalide, which has been proven to lower blood pressure. In animals, a small amount of this compound lowered blood pressure by 12-14 per cent, which is the equivalent of 4-6 stalks of celery. Celery lends itself really well as a base for juice and smoothies, so this amount would not be hard to incorporate!
• Eat a clove of garlic alongside each meal! Studies were conducted using dried garlic powder with 1.3 per cent alliin at 600-900mg (equivalent to 1.8-2.7g of fresh garlic per day), resulting in a drop of 11 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and 5 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure over a period of one to three months.
• Beet juice contains l-arginine which helps relax blood vessels. A recent study proved that consuming one cup of beet juice per day was comparable to the effect of medication on patients with high blood pressure, which is approximately 9/5 mmHG.
• Hibiscus tea has been proven to lower blood pressure through various studies. In one such study, drinking three servings of 240ml (three cups of hibiscus tea in total) per day lowered systolic blood pressure by 7.2 mmHG after six weeks.

 Alina Islam is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP) based in Toronto, Canada. She is a speaker, writer, and provides nutritional consulting services to local and international clients.
You can follow her for recipes, health tips & other ramblings on her Instagram and Facebook. She tweets @AlinaIslam.
Curtsey:DAWN.COM, Sept 1,2015

Study links high blood pressure to memory trouble

Researchers studied nearly 20,000 people 45 and older who had never had a stroke or mini-stroke — a common cause of memory problems. More than 7 percent had memory problems, and nearly half were taking medication for high blood pressure. — File Photo by AP
CHICAGO People as young as 45 with high blood pressure are more likely to have memory troubles, US researchers said on Tuesday in a study suggesting aggressive early treatment of the condition may pay huge dividends.
They said people with high diastolic blood pressure — high readings on the bottom number of the blood pressure reading — were more likely than those with normal readings to have problems with memory and thinking called cognitive impairment.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, is the largest to look at the link between high blood pressure and memory problems.
'It's possible that by preventing or treating high blood pressure, we could potentially prevent cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia,' Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who led the study, said in a statement.
Researchers studied nearly 20,000 people 45 and older who had never had a stroke or mini-stroke — a common cause of memory problems. More than 7 percent had memory problems, and nearly half were taking medication for high blood pressure.
 
High blood pressure is defined as a reading of 140/90 or above.
For every 10 point increase in the bottom blood pressure reading, the odds of a person having cognitive problems increased by 7 percent, the researchers found.
The results held even after being adjusted for other factors that can mar thinking, such as age, smoking status, exercise level, education, diabetes or high cholesterol.
'These latest data suggest that higher blood pressure may be a risk factor for cognitive decline, but further studies will be necessary to understand the cause-effect relationship,'
said Dr. Walter Koroshetz, deputy director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which funded the study.
Koroshetz said the National Institutes of Health is organizing a large clinical trial to see if aggressive measures to lower blood pressure can lower the risk of memory problems.
According to the American Heart Association, about one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure.
Because there are no symptoms, many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. — Reuters
Curtsey: DAWN,COM— PUBLISHED AUG 26, 2009 

Tips to control high blood pressure

1. Make sure your blood pressure is under 140/90 mm Hg. If your systolic pressure (the top number) is over 140, ask your doctor what you can do to lower it.

2. Take your high blood pressure medicine, if prescribed, every day. If you have questions, talk to your doctor.

3. Aim for a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight increases your risk of high blood pressure. One way to determine if you need to lose weight is to find out your body mass index or BMI. If your BMI is above the healthy range (i.e., 25 or greater), or if your waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men) you probably have excess abdominal weight and you may benefit from weight loss especially if you have other risk factors. Talk to your doctor to see if you are at increased risk for high blood pressure and need to lose weight.

4. Increase your physical activity. Do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as walking, most days of the week. You can do 30 minutes in three 10-minute segments.

5. Choose foods low in salt and sodium. Most Americans should consume no more than 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams, about one teaspoon of table salt a day. For someone with high blood pressure, the doctor may advise less.

6. Read nutrition labels. Almost all packaged foods contain sodium. Every time you prepare or eat a packaged food, know how much sodium is in one serving.

7. Keep a sodium diary. You may be surprised at how much sodium you consume each day and the diary will help you decide which foods to decrease or eliminate.

8. Use spices and herbs instead of salt to season the food you prepare at home.

9. Eat more fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-fat dairy foods.

Curtsey:The News, Friday, August 22, 2014 

High blood pressure: The silent killer

Muhammad Qasim
 

High blood pressure also known as hypertension — increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can also cause blindness, irregularities of the heartbeat, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, rupture of blood vessels and brain impairment.

It is believed that high blood pressure lowers the expectation of life. Studies reveal that it affects almost one third of the total adult population worldwide though it remains largely hidden. Many people do not know they have high blood pressure because it does not always cause symptoms. As a result, it leads to more than nine million deaths every year, half of which are due to heart disease and stroke.

There is no real data on the number of hypertensive patients in Pakistan, but the prevalence in Pakistan is much high due to poor hygienic, socio-economic and environmental conditions and it is increasing day-by-day. It is a major risk factor for stroke in Pakistani population however; more than 70 per cent of patients in Pakistan are unaware of the fact that they are hypertensive.

Head of Community Medicine at CMH Lahore Medical College Professor Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry expressed this while talking to ‘The News’ in connection with World Health Day, which is being observed on April 7 around the globe.

World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of public health concern in the world. The theme for 2013 is high blood pressure.

Dr. Ashraf said that in 90 to 95 per cent of high blood pressure cases, the cause is unknown. In the remaining 5 per cent or less, a specific cause is known, which include kidney failure, narrowing of arteries to the kidneys and various hormonal conditions.

He added that sometimes high blood pressure can cause symptoms such as headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, palpitation of the heart or nose bleeding. “Everyone should know his or her blood pressure numbers. Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure equal to or above 140mm Hg and or diastolic blood pressure equal to or above 90mm Hg.”

To a query, he explained that major risk factors for hypertension are non-modifiable such as age as blood pressure rises with age in both sexes and the rise is greater in those with higher initial blood pressure and genetic factors such as family history. “Modifiable risk factors are obesity as the greater the weight gain the greater the risk of high blood pressure, high salt intake seven to eight grams per day, saturated fats including ghee, butter, red meat, ice cream etc, high alcohol intake, high heart rate, physical inactivity, tobacco smoking, environmental stress, oral contraceptives and noise etc,” said Dr. Ashraf.

He said that the higher the blood pressure is, the greater is the chance of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. “For individuals, aged 40 to 70 years, each increment of 20mmHg in systolic BP or 10mm Hg in diastolic BP doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease across the entire BP range from 115/75 to 185/115 mmHg.” He, however, said that high blood pressure is both preventable and treatable. The risk of developing high blood pressure can be reduced by reducing salt intake, eating a balanced diet, avoiding use of alcohol, taking regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy body weight and avoidance of tobacco use.

Dr. Ashraf said that majority of population in urban areas in Pakistan are in a habit of consuming unnecessarily salty foods, especially fast foods, ‘namkeens’, ‘samosas’ etc that should be avoided. “Salt intake should not be more than 5gm (one teaspoonful) per day.”

He suggested that food, which is rich in salt such as cheese, salted nuts, salty condiments, sausages, ketchup, vinegar, tomato chips, salted fish, pickles, cream, bread, processed meat and snack foods should be used in limited quantity. “The concerned government authorities should negotiate with food manufactures to reduce the amount of salt in processed foods.”

He said that opting for a healthier diet is an easy task. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Eat whole grains, lean meat, salads, poultry and fresh fish. At least 30 minutes of regular physical activity every day or most days of the week helps to maintain normal blood pressure, keeps away heart attacks and strokes and at least 60 minutes in most days helps to maintain healthy weight, said Dr. Ashraf.

It is believed that feeling lonely, isolated or anxious for long time can combine with risk factors to make a person more likely to have high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke. When asked, Dr. Ashraf said that one should try to live relaxed life and try to become less time conscious. “In order to reduce stress in life, offer your prayers regularly and go to the parks, country side or for walk. Be communicative, and social. Avoid isolation, share with others.” He added that tobacco in every form is very harmful to health. Nicotine in tobacco smoke increases the heart rate and blood pressure and a fall in good cholesterol.

To a query, Dr. Ashraf said that early detection of high blood pressure and lowering heart attack and stroke risk is clearly far less expensive for individuals and governments than heart surgery, stroke care, dialysis, and other interventions than may be needed later if high blood pressure is left unchecked and uncontrolled.

He said that modern anti hypertensive drug therapy can effectively reduce high blood pressure and consequently the excess risk of morbidity and mortality from coronary, cerebrovascular and kidney disease. “The aim of treatment should be to obtain a blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg, and ideally blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg. Whenever your blood pressure is high, more than 135/85mmHg, check with your health care provider.” Dr. Ashraf concluded that one can certainly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by controlling blood pressure.

Curtsey:The News, Saturday, April 06, 2013