Natural & Lifestyle Ways to Combat High Blood Pressure

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, refers to blood pushing against the walls of the arteries with chronically elevated force. Blood pressure that rises above normal levels and remains high can lead to serious health problems including heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure as well as other health problems.

High blood pressure is defined as a reading above 140/90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). In blood pressure measurement the top number, known as the systolic pressure, represents the pressure within the arteries when the heart contracts, or “beats” while pumping blood. The second number, diastolic pressure, represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes between beats and fills with blood.

Normal blood pressure is defined as less than 120 over less than 80. A person whose blood pressure runs between 120-139 over 80-89 is said to have pre-hypertension, a classification that is used to further encourage taking preventive diet and lifestyle measures. Blood pressure changes repeatedly throughout the day; it is lowest during sleep and increases upon waking. It also goes up when a person is excited, nervous or active.

Hypertension is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the U.S., affecting one in three adults, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Untreated, hypertension can lead to arterial damage, which in turn can result in impaired blood flow to vital organs, potentially leading to heart attack, kidney failure, stroke, eye damage or aneurysm. Fortunately, once identified, hypertension often can be controlled to some degree with changes in diet and lifestyle.

What are the causes?

The risk of high blood pressure increases with age as arterial walls lose their elasticity. There can be many contributing factors, yet doctors often cannot identify an exact cause for high blood pressure, in which case the person is said to have “essential hypertension.” Potential contributing factors include but are not limited to:

• Stress. By activating the sympathetic nervous system, stress can cause the arteries to maintain a more rigid tone.
• Excessive salt consumption: The sodium in salt can cause excess water retention, expands blood volume and ultimately increases blood pressure.
• A diet low in calcium, magnesium and potassium.
• Insulin resistance: This condition can increase blood pressure by various mechanisms including increased systemic inflammation and sodium retention as a result of kidney damage.
• Excessive alcohol intake, defined as drinking in excess of two drinks daily for men under age 65, or in excess of one drink daily for women or men over age 65.
• Being overweight.
• Medications. Some prescription drugs, including steroids, birth control pills, decongestants, NSAIDS and diet pills can raise blood pressure. Some over-the-counter medicines, such as those containing licorice root, ephedra, guarana, kola nut, yerba mate, ginseng and yohimbe, may also raise blood pressure.

What is the conventional treatment?

Conventional treatment usually begins with recommendations to lose weight, get regular exercise, and to quit smoking. Even a 10 percent weight loss can sometimes bring high blood pressure under control. Limiting intake of caffeine (in coffee, tea, sodas, and energy drinks) and alcohol can also help.

Medication usually is prescribed if blood pressure readings consistently exceed 140/90 (or 130/80 for diabetics or those with kidney disease), despite lifestyle changes. But even when drugs are prescribed, physicians usually recommend adhering to a low-salt diet that includes lots of vegetables and fruit, exercise, and stress reduction techniques, all of which can help keep the required dosage of medication to a minimum.

There are a number of different types of drugs used to treat high blood pressure. Here’s a rundown and brief descriptions of how each type works:

• Diuretics: Help the kidneys to flush excess water and salt from the body.
• Beta blockers: Help the heart beat more slowly and less forcefully, and also relax arterial walls, together resulting in less pressure within and on blood vessels.
• ACE inhibitors: ACE stands for angiotensin-converting-enzyme.This class of drugs inhibits production of the hormone angiotension II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow, thereby increasing the pressure inside.
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers: Protect blood vessels from the hormone angiotensin II so that the blood vessels can relax and widen.
• Calcium channel blockers: Prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels, allowing both to relax.
• Alpha blockers: Reduce nerve impulses that tighten blood vessels allowing blood to flow more freely.
• Alpha-beta blockers: Reduce nerve impulses and slow heartbeat.
• Nervous system inhibitors: Increase nerve impulses from the brain to relax and widen blood vessels.
• Vasodilators: Relax muscles in blood vessel walls.

Conventional physicians may also likely to recommend the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), based on a large-scale study that identified the foods that affect blood pressure. It emphasizes generous amounts of fruits and vegetables and low-fat or fat-free dairy products that provide adequate calcium. The diet is also relatively low in fat and sodium. DASH researchers have shown that diets rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium, and low in sodium (2,400 mg or less), play an important role in blood pressure control. Interestingly, recommendation for diet are converging and the Anti-inflammatory diet is emerging as the diet which encompasses the elements of the DASH diet and other diets, but with a broader attention on inflammation and chronic diseases.

In addition to checking your blood pressure, a physician may recommend a urinalysis, an electrocardiogram (ECG) to evaluate the electrical activity of your heart and perhaps other tests for signs of heart disease.

What therapies does Dr. Fabio suggest to lower blood pressure?

To lower blood pressure naturally there are several lifestyle measures and nutritional supplements that can be used. If those changes don’t help, he may prescribe one or more of the conventional medications described above. Here are Dr. Fabio's tips on how to lower your blood pressure.

• Limit caffeine intake.
• Limit alcohol intake.
• Avoid processed foods and meats. This is often the biggest sources of salt in today’s diet.
• Maintain optimal weight. Even losing a small amount of weight can lower blood pressure.
• Relax. Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises and biofeedback can help lower blood pressure.
• Don’t smoke.
• Exercise. As little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, such as walking, can help lower blood pressure.
• Check your medicines. Discuss your current medications and their risks of increasing blood pressure with your doctor.
• Eat eight to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit per day.
• Limit animal protein to six ounces per day.
• Limit salt intake. If you are salt sensitive or have a family history of hypertension, reducing salt to about one teaspoon a day may help control your blood pressure. Use a salt substitute like NoSalt, which is high in potassium and may itself also help lower blood pressure.
• Use garlic. It has a modest effect on blood pressure, potentially helping to relax blood vessels. If eating lots of garlic is not your thing, then use garlic supplements.
• Eat four to five servings of nuts, seeds and dry beans per week. This is equivalent to two tablespoons of nuts or seeds, or 1/2 cup cooked dried beans. Ditch the chips, and eat Walnut and Pistachios instead
• Eat plenty of fish. Include at least three servings of fish a week, emphasizing cold-water fish such as wild salmon and sardines, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Take fish-oil supplements if you cannot get enough omega-3-rich foods.
• Take calcium and magnesium. Inadequate intake of both of these minerals has been associated with high blood pressure. Women should get between 1,000 and 1,200 mg of calcium a day from all sources, while men need no more than 500-600 mg daily from all sources and probably do not need to supplement. Magnesium supplement should be equal to 1/2 of the calcium supplement, so 500-600 mg for women and 250-300 mg for men.
• Take vitamin C. This antioxidant vitamin has been shown to lower blood pressure in people with mild to moderate hypertension.