My doctor took my BP last week and it measured 150/100. That’s the highest it’s ever been in my entire life. The last time it was high (140/100) was during my father’s funeral, I didn’t sleep at all for three days (probably slept for only an hour or less each night) and had a pretty poor diet, had tremendous stress, anxious and nervous that was the first time he prescribed me 50mg Metoprolol twice a day. I began feeling even more lethargic, my pulse was very slow and I felt even more anxious. I stopped taking it after a while and even after stopping my BP was very normal it was 120/80 and even lower. I got a new job as an Online English Teacher and this job is very sedentary, we sit in front of the computer 9 hours a day… I have a diet that is high in fat and sodium (i’m not proud of it either) NO exercise whatsoever other than walking to work and back home and I’m pretty much stressed about the most littlest things and I think I’m a hypochondriac since I think I have every single disease on the planet.

I got an ECG, blood test and even a 2-D Echocardiogram? last year and everything was perfectly normal. My family has no history of hypertension either. The temperature in my country (Philippines) can go as high as 38 degrees Celsius which is about 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit and the lowest is about 35 even at night time it’s 28 degrees so it’s pretty hot, that alone causes me unbearable stress. So last weekend my cousin who’s a GP took my BP and it turned out to be 150/100 then he said I have to ALWAYS take metoprolol for maintenance. He only took it once. I started research of my own and found out the bad side effects plus I’m wondering if I’m really hypertensive. What should I do? Please help! Thank you very much in advance to those who can contribute.

P.S. I’m also changing my lifestyle, I’m starting a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet from now on, exercising daily with aerobics, I don’t smoke, drink or even take any coffee. Please help!

One high blood pressure reading does not mean that you need to be on medication. You need to get one of the blood pressure monitors for home use and take it with you to a doctors appointment to make sure it registers your blood pressure correctly. Then just take your blood pressure a couple of times a day and write it down. Take those results to your doctor who will determine if you need to be on medication.
I personally don’t think Metoprolol would be indicated as a first blood pressure medication. I have been on different high blood pressure medications for years and usually the doctors start out with a diuretic. I take Metoprolol now, but that is because I was diagnosed with afib in addition to my high blood pressure. Of course I am not a medical professional, just giving my opinion based on my own experiences.
I can tell you that Metoprolol does slow your heart rate and make you feel really tired and crappy at first, but your body does get used to it after a while.

Which is better alternative for hypertensive and cardiovascular disease, therapeutic (medication) or non-therapeutic (i.e. exercise, diet, etc)?

Due to the individual nature of both conditions, I’d say there’s really no pat answer to this. I think most people and most physicians would prefer that people use the diet and exercise to control both. It’s a fact though that often just those sort of natural or homeopathic approaches aren’t enough. In that situation a combination of medications and diet/exercise are generally effective.

My mom’s blood pressure has been below 130/70 for about a month (ranging from 120/80-130/70 or something like that she says) (but sometimes her blood pressure goes lower than 120/80) without taking any medication, is she still considered as hypertensive? She’s been exercising everyday (brisk walks and aerobics) and having a balanced diet. She is 42 years old. Her highest recorded blood pressure was 145/90, and that was december last year. Does she still need to take medication? And is it true that once a hypertensive, always a hypertensive?

As to the "once a hypertensive, always a hypertensive"…no, some people can control their BP with diet and exercise. Your mom is to be commended for her work there. Looks like she is doing well. While her BP has come down, it does still require monitoring and only her doctor can be the one to determine about the med. You are talking a subject that can be deadly. Tell your mom to keep up the great work. She is not only saving her life, but she is keeping herself around longer to see you live yours!!

My mom’s blood pressure has been below 130/70 for about a month (ranging from 120/80-130/70 or something like that she says) (but sometimes her blood pressure goes lower than 120/80) without taking any medication, is she still considered as hypertensive? She’s been exercising everyday (brisk walks and aerobics) and having a balanced diet. She is 42 years old. Her highest recorded blood pressure was 145/90, and that was december last year. Does she still need to take medication? And is it true that once a hypertensive, always a hypertensive?

It is not true that once a hypertensive, always a hypertensive. When you are measuring blood pressure, single readings are not something on which to base any sort of treatment. At any particular time during the day your blood pressure can vary. In fact it can vary from one minute to the next. It depends on your level of activity emotional state and any other medical condition that may affect it. If a couple of successive readings are very high….. lets say….in the vicinity of 170/95 then that is definitely a reason for concern. In your mother’s case, her readings are fairly close to normal. In order to get a realistic picture of a her actual resting blood pressure, at least 5 readings should be taken throughout the day. Morning after waking(before the morning coffee), 3 more during the day and one in the evening (at least 3 hours after a meal). All these readings should be taken when seated, at rest for at least 5 minutes and not under any emotional stress. The upper arm should be at the same level as your heart. Record the readings for at least 2 days. Then discard the highest and lowest readings and average the rest. The result will give a good picture of her actual resting blood pressure. With a good diet and exercise she may not need the medication. A systolic of 130 is considered borderline high blood pressure. The fact that she has had some readings lower than 120/80 appears to indicate she is doing quite well. If she stops taking the medication she should keep track of her blood pressure for any increase.

Im 27 yrs old and not over weight! Recently my dr diagnosis me with prehypertension I must admit before nthis my eating habits were poor but ever since that day I completely changed my diet and started exercising a little! I purchased a blood pressure monitor so I check mu bp several times aday jst to make sure it doesn’t get to high! I noticed that sometimes when i’m just sitting and I check my bp it becomes slightly elevated but for for the most part it doesn’t rise that often ( not that I knw of). My mom is hypertensive but i’m not claiming that on my life just because she has it! Any natural remedies that work? My cholesterol levels are fine!

Stop any and all caffeine products. for some that can send your blood pressure soaring.
Lower your salt intake dramatically as that too can increase blood pressure.
You are on the right track with increasing exercise.
Over weight doesn’t always indicate anything.
I am considered morbidly obese with normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Sometimes is CAN be genetics so don’t rule that out completely.
Did you know that stressing over your blood pressure can also raise it?
They say that blood pressure reading in a doctors office are notoriously high and often inaccurate, just from the anxiety of being sick and at the doctors office in the first place.
That’s why sometimes, the nurse will talk to you for a while and do all sorts of other things before taking your blood pressure, to calm you.

Way back in 2003, the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine’s Oct. 9th issue reported a study finding that Tai Chi “could decrease blood pressure and results in favorable lipid profile changes and improve subjects’ anxiety status. Therefore, Tai Chi could be used as an alternative modality in treating patients with mild hypertension, with a promising economic effect.” This study laid out a way to save our society, perhaps billions of dollars annually, and possibly save some patients with mild chronic hypertension the potential negative side effects of chronic lifelong medication. However, this largely hasn’t occurred.

I caught a glimpse why when I was staying in the beautiful mountain town of Otavala, Ecuador, with a woman known for her knowledge of traditional Indian medicines. A tour of young American medical students stopped here to listen and learn from the Indian woman’s tour of her herbal gardens. As I followed them, I asked a group of young bright medical students if they were aware that Tai Chi was found to reduce high blood pressure. One lovely young woman replied, “Oh, yes, I’ve heard that, but I would never prescribe it.”

I asked why, and she responded that she couldn’t because she didn’t know if it would work. Although Tai Chi studies do show that Tai Chi indeed helps lower high blood pressure, it is true that it does not reduce it in every person. However, it is also true that every drug prescription does not work on every person either. I suggested to the young medical student that she consider that many times I’ve been to the doctor, and he’s pulled out a prescription pad and explained, “Let’s give this a try, and see how it works for you, and if it doesn’t do the job, we’ll try something else.” Most of us are familiar with this, and by the confused look on the student’s face, I’m assuming her memory banks were bringing up similar images.

So, why are our medical universities giving students the impression that they should not be prescribing Tai Chi, since we know it can help lower high blood pressure for many, who if it is successful with them, can enjoy a lifetime free of chronic and costly medications? And not only do that, but offer a plethora of GOOD SIDE EFFECTS including a stronger immune system and healthier respiratory system. This is a deep and important question we need to be asking as patients and consumers, and health professionals must begin asking this question regularly in order to fulfill the duties of their Hippocratic oath. For, today we have even a much better understanding of Tai Chi’s potential than we did a few years ago, so ignorance or inconclusive data is not an acceptable explanation from our medical universities that train our future doctors, without teaching them about Tai Chi research, and what it portends for their future patients.

Today, we are clearer on exactly why Tai Chi is such a powerful therapy for high blood pressure sufferers. In a March 17, 2005, article by the Mayo Clinic staff posted at mayoclinic.com they lay out what a “stress response” is, and the effects it has on the body. This is at the core of high blood pressure problems and the physical changes chronic stress responses illicite that creates or aggravates hypertensive conditions.

In their article, they explain that a stress response, or “fight or flight” reaction involves our pituitary gland releasing adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which sets a domino effect signaling other glands to produce additional hormones, such as adrenal glands which flood the blood stream with stress hormones, such as “cortisol” and “adrenaline.”

When ordinary life’s daily frustrations trigger this effect over and over again, the results can be damaging to the mind and body. Many of us experience this domino effect of triggers and hormones daily, which is why about 1/3 of Americans, or over 90 million Americans, suffer from high blood pressure.

Cutting edge scientists like Dr. Herbert Benson, President of the Mind/Body Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, are discovering a stunning reality through their research. In a wonderful article by Jeanie Lerche Davis at WebMD Medical News entitled The Mysterious ‘Medication’ of Meditation (http://my.webmd.com/content/article/25/1728_ 57992.htm), she writes of how such researchers are discovering that “meditation can indeed be medication – creating long lasting physiciolgical effects that reduce high blood pressure and even help unclog arteries to reverse heart disease.”

Dr. Benson, who is also associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, sought to prove how this effect could be shown objectively, and had five long-time meditation practitioners take MRI brain scans while meditating. Dr. Benson informed WebMD in the aforementioned article by Davis, “There was a striking quietude across the entire brain which was documented through MRI . . . The areas of the brain that became active from that quietude were those that control metabolism, heart rate, etc., . . . We knew meditation caused a relaxation response, but we couldn’t prove it. We knew that if you thought in a certain way, with repetition, that physiologic changes would occur in the body. Here now is proof that mind, in the form of repetition, is affecting the brain, which affects the body . . . “

Stroke Magazine reported on a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, conducted by Dr. Amparo Castillo-Richmond, from the Maharishi University, more specifically on high blood pressure afflicting black people. The meditating group saw a reduction in the thickness of one of the arteries that supplied blood to the brain. Which indicates that blood flow is increasing. The group only using diet and exercise saw their artery walls getting thicker, which indicated that less blood was flowing through to the brain. This finding led Dr. Castillo-Richmond to make the profoundly exciting assertion, “It’s possible to reverse heart disease through meditation.” In fact, not only hypertension, but up to 90% of other illnesses sending us to the doctor are being caused by stress, according to Dr. Herbert Benson. Which makes Dr. Benson’s and Dr. Castillo-Richmond’s findings that meditative techniques can so dramatically alter our stress producing “fight or flight” response in healthy ways even more wonderful.

Dr. Benson explains, that the relaxation response triggered by repetitive forms [like tai chi, yoga, etc.] can result in decreased metabolism, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and also slower brain waves.” Benson asserts that it is the repetitive nature of acts like praying the rosary, yoga, or tai chi’s physical repetitive muscular actions that provides the profound hope for reducing anxiety, mild and moderate depression, anger and hostility, hypertension, cardiac irregularities, and all forms of pain, which are made worse by stress.

This concept of Tai Chi being an effective tool for reducing or even avoiding incidence of high blood pressure or other illnesses all together, is echoed elsewhere. Mayoclinic.com also recommends Tai Chi for relaxation training in an article entitled, “Relax: Techniques to help you achieve tranquility” which also explains why relaxation is important and what you might experience by practicing tools that will help you relax.

They detail how you can improve body responses to stress, such as: Slowing your heart rate; Reducing blood pressure; Slowing your breathing rate; Reducing the need for oxygen; Increasing blood flow to the major muscles; Lessening muscle tension.

They go on to explain that practicing relaxation techniques may help you experience: Fewer symptoms of illness, such as headaches, nausea, diarrhea and pain; Few emotional responses such as anger, crying, anxiety, apprehension and frustration; More energy; Improved concentration; Greater ability to handle problems; More efficiency in daily activities. So, time and time again as we begin to examine one particular benefit of Tai Chi, such as lowering high blood pressure, we see a whole universe of potential opening up before us.

An article from Archives of Internal Medicine, as reported on NBC’s local WCAU Health (http://wcau-tvhealth.ip2m.com/index.cfm?pt=itemDetail&Item_ ID=112735&Site_Cat_ID=77) explained a Tai Chi research program at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston revealed a great deal. The article authors wrote, “Overall, these studies reported that long-term Tai Chi practice had favorable effects on the promotion of balance control, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness and reduced the risk of falls in elders . . . Cardiovascular and respiratory function improvements were noted in healthy people and those who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery as well as people with heart failure, hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, arthritis and multiple sclerosis . . . Benefit was also found for balance, strength, and flexibility in older subjects; falls in frail elderly subjects; and pain, stress and anxiety in healthy subjects.” They add the actual ways that Tai Chi provides these benefits are not well known.

The fact is that less than .5% of the National Institute of Health’s budget goes to research alternative therapies, leaving yoga, meditation, tai chi, massage, herbal therapy, aroma therapy, and the entire massive field of alternative health systems to struggle over .5%, or a little over $100 million of the $28 billion (approx.) annual budget. Given the above studies, it boggles the mind that such a small portion of the health research dollars are going to Tai Chi.

To recap, about 1/3 of the American population suffers high blood pressure. Tai Chi is proven to be a beneficial therapy that not only has no bad side effects, but dramatically improves immune function, respiratory function, lowers the incidence of anxiety and depression, and profoundly improves the balance of practitioners. Tai Chi does more, but for our purposes here these profound realities are enough to show exactly why it is truly unbelievable that Tai Chi is getting so little scrutiny in medical research dollars, when it can save so many from chronic suffering and perhaps some from a lifetime of chronic costly medications.

It is time we all began to ask the question that all good consumers should ask, “What is the best way/product for my health?” If Tai Chi is that product, the next question is, “Why isn’t every physician offering it as an option to their patients with hypertension, as a prescription?” “Why aren’t all insurance policies covering such prescriptions for Tai Chi?” Ask and ye shall receive. We must become informed and demanding health consumers, in order to get the best health options available.

This article does not advocate self-treatment, and encourages all to make health choices in conjunction with their physician. However, if your physician is close-minded to anything but a certain group of health options, even when research indicates your choices may be wider, than it is time to have a good talk with your physician about possibly widening your options.

Bill Douglas
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/high-blood-pressure-and-tai-chi-therapy-3929.html

Believe it or not, there are foods that can help lower your blood pressure. While you should continue to take any medications that have been prescribed by your physician for your hypertension, and consult with him before adding anything to your diet, with proper supervision, natural blood pressure lowering foods can often be added to your diet as well.

What’s a good example of a food that can help lower your blood pressure?

How about garlic? Yes, it’s true. Garlic supplements have been shown to help lower your blood pressure by as much as 5-10%. A dose of 900 mg of garlic powder per day can help lower your cholesterol, reduce your triglyceride levels, and promote healthy blood circulation. However, since garlic does have blood thinning properties, it should never be combined with prescription blood thinners (Coumadin or Trental for example) or natural substances that also thin your blood such as vitamin E or ginkgo.

Fruits and vegetables can also help control your hypertension. These include oranges, greens, potatoes, beans, okra, cabbage etc. Some fruits will supply your body with additional vitamin C, which is also useful in assisting with lowering your blood pressure.

Since, cholesterol can have an unfavorable impact on your blood pressure, especially when your cholesterol levels are high, switching from regular dairy foods to low fat dairy foods is a priority. Low fat yogurt, cheese without fat or with less fat, low calories cheese, cottage cheese with fat levels of just one per cent … these are examples of dairy products that can help give you an advantage over your high blood pressure. You can still enjoy the dairy products, still enjoy the flavors and textures, just check the labels first to limit as much fat as possible.

Along these same lines, keep an eye on the fat content of any meats you consume. Whenever possible, chose meats with less fat. For example, the white meat that comprises chicken or turkey (without the skin) should be considered as one of the foods that help to control your hypertension. Similarly, egg whites instead of whole eggs are preferrable since the yolk of the egg is thought to contain high levels of cholesterol.

What else can you do?

Excessive consumption of alcohol, especially on a daily basis, can raise your blood pressure. So keep in mind that alcohol should always be taken in moderate amounts especially if you’re in a hypertensive state.

The good foods on your list can lose their effectiveness if they contain high levels of sodium. Since it’s well known to increase blood pressure, your sodium intake should always be carefully monitored.

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered a healthy addition to your diet.

Summing it all up.

Anyone can develop high blood pressure. African Americans are at higher risk for this serious disease than any other race or ethnic group. High blood pressure tends to be more common, happens at an earlier age, and is more severe for many African Americans. The good news is that hypertension can be controlled. Better yet, it can be prevented.

Eating a healthy diet, comprised of the right foods, can have huge benefits if you’re dealing with high blood pressure. In fact, a healthy diet can often be the deciding factor of whether you’ll need to take hypertensive drugs or not.

David Silva
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/discover-the-foods-that-lower-your-blood-pressure-77369.html

my dad turned 46 in october. and well he doesnt exactly have the best diet. but he is not overweight. he hates going to the doctor. and he did drink quite a lot on christmas. but he jus takes a beer eveyr now and then. not like he gets wasted. after and argument with my mom he had a chest pain that extended to his left arm. but it is gone and he went to sleep. my dad hates the doctor and doesnt go for checkups. im scared :/ what do i do. tomorrows new years eve. his dad died of diabetes. his mom died from a heart attack and she was hypertensive. im not with him right now. and my mom called and said he said it doesnt hurt anymore and he if fast asleep. she set up an appointment for him.

It was probably not a heart attack because it doesn’t just stop and you usually can’t breath but it is probably a sign that something is wrong with his heart but if he goes to the doctor he should be fine