Should You Take Drugs for Mildly Elevated Blood Pressure?

August 22 2012 9:48 in Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure

Medication for high blood pressure is extremely common. But who needs it? How high should the blood pressure be before medication is indicated? Usually a blood pressure above 140/90 is said to be high and a lot of people are then put on drugs.

But a new big review of all studies shows that it’s unclear if medication helps when blood pressure is only mildly elevated (140-159 systolic and/or 90-99 diastolic). It’s likely that the risk of side effects may outweigh the potential benefits in these cases.

Eating less sugar and starch may be a healthier way of lowering a mildly elevated blood pressure. A significantly reduced blood pressure has been shown in a number of studies testing low carb diets for weight loss (lower than on other weight loss diets). And I see it regularly in my patients.

A New Toy Measuring Blood Ketones

Very Low Carb Performance with Peter Attia

58 Comments

Top Comments

Ruby
August 22 2012 12:16 7
I am a living proof. I was never obese, not even overweight, and exercised regularly, yet I had what a number of doctors considered high BP (avg. 140/85) and was advised to take drugs ASAP. I ignored them and reduced my sugar and grain intake instead. Just a few months down the road, my BP averages 120/70.
The "downside" of this advice is that it will not generate any money for doctors, big pharma as well as sugar and grain producers
Read more →
Galina L.
August 22 2012 13:44 4
I convinced my mom to go on a LC diet. She is 75,lives in Moscow, and her BP without meds was around 160/100. In 3 day it went 125/80 and still there. She is overweight, on LC she lost only 23 lb, but her energy got much better , GERD greatly improved, she didn't get a seasonal flu during previous year.
Read more →

All Comments

1
Sue Dixon
August 22 2012 10:10 1
This is of interest to me at the moment. I started lchf about 10 weeks ago and whilst I haven't lost a great deal of weight (only about 8lbs) my blood pressure has reduced dramatically. I was previously on 2 different prescriptions - I 'negotiated' one away with my GP when my readings were consistently low and causing light headedness. I've just ditched the second one and feel better still. I'll obviously continue to monitor my BP. I do wonder where and how the great and the good of the medical world decide what is 'normal' BP - didn't it used to be the case that a general rule was to take 100 and add your age for the top number? (I'm 53 by the way) Or have I just dreamt that? What I'm asking I guess - is who, how and why was the 140/80 figure arrived at?
2
Steve Parker, M.D.
August 22 2012 11:31 2
A recent meta-analysis of low-carb diet studies found that blood pressures dropped only 3-4 mmHg on low-carb diets. But that's just an average. Many individuals see lower BPs. Study participants, however, were not necessarily hypertensive to begin with; they were just obese. If you look at obese folks with high blood pressure and put them on low-carb diets, I bet they average BP drop would be more than 3-4 mmHg.
-Steve
Reference: Santos, F.L., et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials of the effects of low carbohydrate diets on cardiovascular risk factors. Obesity Reviews. Article first published online: 20 AUG 2012. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01021.x
3
Doc
August 22 2012 12:03 1
Steve,
Also, long term compliance in these trials basically sucks. So if the average drop in BP is 3-4 mmHG (which is still nice) that means that the average in people actually following the advice is likely to be significantly higher.
4
Ruby
August 22 2012 12:16 7
I am a living proof. I was never obese, not even overweight, and exercised regularly, yet I had what a number of doctors considered high BP (avg. 140/85) and was advised to take drugs ASAP. I ignored them and reduced my sugar and grain intake instead. Just a few months down the road, my BP averages 120/70.
The "downside" of this advice is that it will not generate any money for doctors, big pharma as well as sugar and grain producers
5
Galina L.
August 22 2012 13:44 4
I convinced my mom to go on a LC diet. She is 75,lives in Moscow, and her BP without meds was around 160/100. In 3 day it went 125/80 and still there. She is overweight, on LC she lost only 23 lb, but her energy got much better , GERD greatly improved, she didn't get a seasonal flu during previous year.
6
Laura
August 22 2012 14:25
In January 2010 at the tender age of 40 I was overweight and had a blood pressure of 140 over 80 which is rather high. I was vegan then on a very high carb diet and had been for 16 years. As mentioned in previous post a blood test had also revealed high LDL according to the established parameters. Doctors did not seem worried about my BP but I decided I wanted to lose weight.
Initially I did it by simple calory restriction (partly because I did not know about paleo/lchf) in essence cutting all portions by half and observing a sort of fast on alternate nights. That on its own lowered my blood pressure by an enormous amount and six months and 2&1/2 stones later (& Lighter) my BP was 112/65...and this when I was under enrmous stress the day before a surgical procedure.....so even decreasing carbs and body weight has helped.
In the meantime I have gone paleo/lchf. I would love to check all my parameters again and find out. One other thing that was out of order when I was vegan over-weight etc was my intraocular pressure (there is glaucoma in the family). which not only is on the high side of things for both eyes but it used to be asymmetric which the opthalmologist told me is another cause of concern. I am due a check up in the autumn so I will let you know. My bet that is also normalised!
All hail LCHF natural lovely food!!
7
Andy
August 22 2012 14:40
Thanks for the heads up. I have been on BP medicine for the last 5 years. I am going to check into it but at this point, I do not know what my BP would be without meds. Hmmm...
8
Oly
August 22 2012 14:41
Diet coke raises my bp. It's also given me nasty headaches (if I have any sinus thing going on). But it's dramatic enough to make my wedding ring become uncomfortable. So now it's always water or unsweet tea
9
Howard
August 22 2012 14:45 1
I have trouble with hypertension, although not severe. A typical reading (with no BP meds) is 160/90.
I have been on a low-carb diet for over a decade, and have lost 120 lbs, so there is something else going on here.
10
Erik
August 22 2012 15:20 2
Not a bad lay summary here.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/201...
Advocates of treatment may argue that it is the exposure of high blood pressure over time, longer than the period of the trials, 5 years, that could benefit people.
The challenge of course, is the side effects that can come along with the medications, and the lip service paid to lifestyle advice.
If blood pressure is still high, you can speak to your doctor as to whether there could be a secondary cause of high blood pressure: kidney disease, hormone abnormalities, sleep apnea, and so on.
11
Howard
August 22 2012 15:57 1
@Erik: My "doctor" is with the VA Medical Center. She is not interested in actual causes of anything, only in prescribing statins and bp meds, and lecturing me on why I should be eating "healthy whole grains" and a low-fat diet.
12
Greg
August 22 2012 16:35 1
Here are 2 numbers for you.
Myself: 130-135/90, consistently for years. Post-LCHF: 105/70 Brother: 150/90. Post-LCHF: 110/75
My doctors dismissed my pre-hypertension as "whitecoat hypertension" because of my age at the time (mid to late twenties).
13
Dr. Mark
August 22 2012 17:11 3
As someone who sees the body as an intelligent organism, I don't interpret a rise in blood pressure as a malfunction. To me, the body does it for a reason. It is here that we should be searching for answers instead of simply how to lower it artificially. Lowering BP with drugs does nothing for the underlying issues and actually contributes to other ailments. The key here is nutrition, exercise, stress relief, and avoiding toxins. Great post! Thanks for bringing this issue to light.
14
ehealthwall.com
August 22 2012 17:26
Well, drugs may help reduce the blood pressure immediately, but in cases of a slight elevation, you must consider other remedies first such as resting, and stress reduction. Anything that is artificial may have side-effects, so if you are not really into maintenance medications for high blood pressure, then you must employ natural things first before an emergency medication. To learn more about high blood pressure and other conditions, you may visit http://www.ehealthwall.com for more health information.
15
moreporkplease
August 22 2012 17:27 2
Hi Doc:
So this is something my husband struggled with despite being 30 and skinny with 9% bodyfat. His blood pressure was 160/115. After having hormone, blood, mineral balance and other tests, including a kidney ultrasound, the doctor ruled him "idiopathic" and immediately wanted to put him on drugs for his "un-curable essential" hypertension.
We thought 30 was young for drugs, but the doctor assured us that among the affluent young population at Stanford nearly 40% of the patients she saw were on blood pressure medicine. That's right, a large number of college kids are now on blood pressure medicine here.
We told her we wanted to do lifestyle, but she laughed and said lifestyle doesn't work. But we have made it work with low-carb, and other modifications. His blood pressure is now about 122/76 and we are working to get it down a little bit further.
He's very strict low-carb, swims 3 times a week, and has added yoga, biofeedback, and isometric handgrip exercises (a well-studied modality). These have all been very beneficial.
After reading the 2009 UC Davis study about the inflammatory component that can block NO and prevent proper normal vasodilation, we followed its result and added grape seed extract and Vit C. Altho' we thought it was very woo, it actually - amazingly - works very well, lowering him 10 points top and bottom. So we don't think it was a placebo effect at all.
16
lowcarbcostarica
August 22 2012 21:04 1
Hi, doc. I go futher than that, Now the pharmaceutical industry is teaching the new doctors that there's is a condition called PRE-HYPERTENTION, where the messures of BP goes from 120/80 to 139/89, and that is important to treat the patiants under this condition cause it will reduce the later complications. I always say that this industry doesn't care about finding a cure, they just want to keep the people sick as much as possible AND BUYING WHAT THEY WANT TO SELL US!!!
Luis Soto, MD
17
Ted Hutchinson
August 22 2012 22:29
For UK listeners the radio 4 program Inside Health Hosted by Dr Mark Porter had an extensive item on treating blood pressure and cholesterol today.
You may listen again here
Over-diagnosis: High Blood Pressure
Or read the transcript.
I thought it quite funny when Dr Mark had his own blood pressure tested and found he came into the category that "may" require treatment. He was very quick to point out all the reasons why "white coat syndrome was the cause and it wasn't this high at home.
It was also interesting to hear how the tide seems to be turning on Statins For All and they made great play on the idea that long term testing of statins in younger people simply hasn't been done.
18
Janknitz
August 22 2012 23:15
Andreas, does this change your criteria for prescribing BP meds at all?? Where do you draw the line?
I tend to have white coat hypertension (in the 150/90 range) but at home when I measure it is is most often around 110/67, although occasionally (once a week or so) it's going into those "pre-hypertension" ranges.
I'm fighting tooth and nail to stay OFF of meds, I'd be passing out on them, I'm quite sure. But I'm getting enormous pressure every time I visit any doctor.
19
Kenneth Kronenberg
August 23 2012 2:07 1
This certainly jibes with my experience. I'm 65, and I started on a mostly low-carb diet (no rice, potatoes, pasta; very restricted grains, etc,) in June of 2011. I probably end up eating between 75-100 gr. of carbs per day. In any case, before I started I was on as many as 5 BP meds, with 2 of them maxed out. Even so, I was unable to get my systolic BP reliably below 150. About three weeks into the diet I began to get dizzy whenever I stood up. I thought I might pass out on the stairs. When I took my BP it read about 90/50. We then backed off on the BP meds.
It has taken about a year, but I finally went off my last med less than two weeks ago! My BP now fluctuates between about 115/60 and 135/75. My doctors think it's just because I lost weight on the diet, which is true, although the changes began to happen before I really started to lose body fat. Anyway, I was never really that overweight (6'1", 182 lbs. then, 166 now). I suspect the initial decrease in BP was due to a loss of fluid. If what I read is correct, a decreased inflammatory response may be responsible for some and weight loss for some as well.
I am thrilled that this is one less med I have to take.
20
Jay Wortman MD
August 23 2012 3:49 3
There are at least three mechanisms whereby a high-carb diet can cause hypertension. Both insulin and fructose act on the tubules of the kidney to retain sodium. In addition, when fructose is metabolized in the liver it generates uric acid which interferes with NO mediated vasodilation. When you do very low carb, you eliminate all these influences and should see a reduction in blood pressure. Loss of water is also a feature early in the diet because the kidney will release the sodium that was previously retained. This is why it is important to reduce or discontinue anti-hypertensives when you begin low-carb dieting as the compound effect of the diet and the meds can send your blood pressure too low. It is also why it is important not to restrict dietary salt on low-carb as you will need to replace the sodium that is now flowing into your urine. It's all good.
21
jaymaster
August 23 2012 4:45 1
I’m just the opposite of many commentors. My BP went UP when I went low carb!
To 150/90 range. And this was after I lost 20 lbs.
I’ve been on BP meds for a year now. They dropped my pressure like a rock at first (110/70), but now I’m starting to slip back up (130/90).
Adding a few “safe carbs” (no wheat) brings them back down a bit. Salt intake does nothing.
I’d like to drop the meds, but my GP claims there are no side effects. Does anybody know of any claims to the contrary?
22
nonegiven
August 23 2012 5:53
ACE inhibitors can give you a cough. Some blood pressure medicines, I don't know which kind, can cause ED.
Have you tried potassium?
23
Darran
August 23 2012 9:22
Its worked for me, I lost 14Ibs on the lchf diet over 6 weeks and my BP has gone from 165/95 to 139/80, still slightly high I know, but, I have eliminated one of my BP meds. I’m sticking to lchf I know my BP will drop even lower.
24
Megan
August 23 2012 11:17
I am one of those people who have always had low blood pressure and actually, when I started on a ketogenic diet it fell further. I had issues with feeling faint, light-headed and woozy. My blood pressure was low despite being 50 pounds overweight. I am guessing my exercise regime kept it low.
But it is worthwhile pointing out that there are dangers from having blood pressure which is very low and that losing the carbs can cause it to fall dramatically. I find that not drinking enough water can cause my blood pressure to fall by a huge amount.
25
Miss S
August 23 2012 11:43
New results from the Health Survey for England:
"There's a huge challenge here to overcome this very stark divide, but it's not an impossible one", said Professor Lindsey Davies, president of the Faculty of Public Health. But she voiced concern that the new NHS commissioning board, which will run the service from next April, had no public health experts on its board. Public health professionals' knowledge of what works to wean people off these clusters of unhealthy behaviour is also "in the Dark Ages" and needs to improve, she added.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/aug/23/class-divide-health-wid...
Living in the dark ages - indeed!
26
Laura
August 23 2012 12:03
Ehi doc could we have your thoughts about intermittent fasting whilst on lchf? This seems to have become a hot topic here in the UK at least since the BBC documentary Eat, fast and live longer.
It may be of itnerest to explore teh different types of fasting especially now that you are looking into keto adaptation...there is also an ongoing controversy about the different effects it has on males versus females perhaps because of the different evolutionary roles....
Just an idea...
27
Erik
August 23 2012 15:34
@Howard
That's too bad if that's the case.
Magensium has been mentioned as well as something where supplementation may be helpful. According to the magnesium man, who was on Jimmy Moore this week, many people may have low magnesium.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=22051430uid
Leafy greens are generally a good source in addition to supplements.
@ Jay
Uric acid: Gary Taubes had an interesting chapter on gout that wasn't published in his book--how fructose was a likely culprit and not purine rich meats
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/10/05/gout/
28
marcsfl
August 23 2012 16:22
I've been on low carb now for 9 months and lost 55 + lbs (317 to 261) I'm 6'3". My blood pressure has stayed pretty constant at 130 to 140 /80 and that's while talking losartan 100mg and DILTIAZEM 90MG (2x daily). I've been on these for almost 15 years now, the ACE inhibitor for 20, since being diagnosed as diabetic.
Not a word from my doc's about cutting back on these. I am trying to loose another 25 lbs, and hope to cut these from my daily pill list.
What are the side effect of these drugs? What might improve if I stopped them?
29
Howard
August 23 2012 16:26
@Erik
I eat greens regularly, although not in huge quantities, generally a daily mixed-greens salad at lunch. I also take magnesium glycinate 500mg daily (at bedtime) as well as a cal-mag-citrate (500mg total). I also take a bit of MgOH, although I realize that it is not well-absorbed. I may try leaving out the calcium supplement and increasing the Mg glycinate to see if that makes a difference. I listened to the Jimmy Moore podcast with the "Magnesium Man" during yesterday's commute (I've met Jimmy -- I was on his LCC last year, and I interviewed him for a podcast I did on the last Low-Carb Cruise). While I doubt that I have a Mg deficiency, it probably would not hurt to get some extra.
@Jay
I have not had a single gout attack since I went (no-grain, no sugar, limited fruit, alcohol limited to a glass of wine maybe twice a year) low-carb in 1999. I used to have an occasional attack even on allopurinol before then. Since 1999, I gradually reduced my allopurinol, from 300mg to 200mg to 100mg to 50mg, then 50mg every other day, and quit taking it completely about 2 years ago.
30
Axel F
August 23 2012 16:26
There was a metaanalysis of randomized studies of low carbohydrate diets published in Obesity Reviews two days ago. The study shows positve effects on blood pressure as well as many other health markers.
http://www.docsopinion.com/2012/08/22/low-carbohydrate-diets-may-impr...
31
Erik
August 23 2012 16:49
@ Howard. Tough situation. Would be important to know that the absolute risk of high blood pressure is relatively small. Advice to lower blood pressure is best done across populations, and not individuals. Matter of n=1 experiments, I suppose.
As a doctor, one site that I use, that emphasizes prudent use of medication, and the use of low doses, gives a small absolute risk of raised blood pressure, and a small absolute benefit of treatment.
http://therapeuticseducation.org/useful-tools
In general, for drug treatment, a good rule of thumb is if a medication has an effect, it can also have a side effect, and this can relate to dose.
For blood pressure medications, best to be on lower doses of multiple medications compared to higher doses of one.
Good BMJ paper about this.
http://www.bmj.com/highwire/filestream/365849/field_highwire_article_...
32
Diane
August 24 2012 20:27
I had normal blood pressure: 110/80. I'm 47. On a whim, I took my blood pressure at the drug store the other day. It's now in the realm of athletes and children: 105/65.
33
Erik
August 24 2012 21:17
Great stuff. Have fun, enjoy life, and don't worry about the "silent killer"!
34
sophie
August 25 2012 17:39
I have been doing LCHF since may and even though weight loss has been minimal (I did not have much weight to lose to begin with) my stomach is getting smaller so I am pretty happy!
I recently went to the doctor who seemed shocked by how low my pressure was. He had to take it a few times before he was reassured that I was ok, but it really seemed to be on the low side.
Is there a problem with very low pressure?
35
Sue Dixon
August 25 2012 18:19
Just p[icking up the magnesium thread - are headaches and increased heart pulse signs of Mg deficiency?
36
Erik
August 25 2012 18:46
@Sophie
CV risk increases at 120/70. As long as you are having no symptoms of low blood pressure, it should be fine. If you are, one consideration may be to add more salt if you are on a LCHF diet. An info article.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighB...
37
sophie
August 26 2012 4:05
Thank you Erik,
I will keep an eye on it, thank you for the link, it was very informative.
So if having fatigue and feeling lethargic is a consequence of low blood pressure, is it to say that adding salt would diminish those symptoms?
38
Erik
August 26 2012 5:19
Increasing salt is a reasonable thought if you are having symptoms or if you exercise. Try it and see if it helps if you perceive symptoms.
39
angie
August 31 2012 16:09
Hello, what about high bp? My friend just started low carb a week ago (finally) to lose weight after my intense efforts to educate him. He just contacted me from his drs office with extremely high bp! 173 over 118! What could be causeing this suddenly? After reading the followup comments above, I told him it can't be the food b/c low carb lowers bp - it doesn't increase it? I'm sure his doc will put him on meds but I'd love to know some natural answers to high bp. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
40
J
September 1 2012 18:20
Dear Andreas, What do you think about the concept of pre-hypertension? My understanding was that the concept is that it does predict increased CV risk and that health care providers should advise exercise & healthy diet as a response...I know that a lot of people believe we are pathologizing the normal and that BP normally increases with age, but if I remember right there are a number of societies where BPs stay low across the lifespan and to me this means it may not be healthy to have an increase with age even though it is "normal" (at least here in the U.S.). Thanks for your great blog!
41
Erik
September 1 2012 22:42
Angie. Sometimes office BPs are unreliable. It would be tough to explain higher BP on low carb. Jay Wortman described the effects of low carb on HTN well.
If this is an ongoing concern, I would suggest that he ask for a 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor. This would give his doctor a better sense of what his average blood pressure is.
There is a push for this in Britain from reading recent guidelines.
42
Erik
September 1 2012 22:52
Hi J. Not speaking for Andreas. My understanding of the concept is that pre hypretension is one of the criteria for metabolic syndrome along with waist circumference, low Hdl, high TG, and glucose intolerance.
As I might have mentioned in one of my previous posts, the absolute risk of increased blood pressure is low, but would be high across populations. The major factor for cardiovascular risk is age.
The same advice would hold true. Eat real food, shed excess weight, perform moderate exercise, and moderate salt if someone is from an ethnic background where salt has greater effect on blood pressure (African populations for example.)
43
Don
October 8 2012 19:24
I took Norvasc (amlodipine) for mildly elevated blood pressure for many years and suffered from urticaria for most of that time. Did not connect the medication with the urticaria until I had been off it for about a year and then started to take it again. The urticaria that had been in remission suddenly flared up. I quit the amlodipine and the urticaria went away.
Without medication my blood pressure averages 145 / 72, (isolated systolic hypertension), and is almost never over 160 / 85.
I have been eating low carb for about 3 years and low carb, moderate protein, high fat for 6 months. I take supplements but no meds and feel good. I am seventy years old.
44
Joseph Marhefka
January 14 13:59
My BP is usually 120 /64. Recently after starting to take Allopurinol Tab 300 I am experiencing my top number to be more like 130 -134 /64. is
the Allopurinol contributing to this reading?
45
Joseph Marhefka
January 14 14:28
My Allopurinol was ordered for a Gout problem and my BP seemed to be great before this med. so I am concerned it the top number has increased because of Allopurinol itself.
Reply: #46
Reply to comment #45 by Joseph Marhefka
46
Ted Hutchinson
January 14 15:07
Allopurinol is usually prescribed to reduce blood pressure, It would be surprising (but not impossible) if it had the reverse effect in some people.
However, sometimes consensus medical opinion misses the obvious and treats the symptoms rather than the cause of high uric acid levels.
If we look at this Comment on: Gout: an independent risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality" we see gout is a disease of iron overload.
Uric acid accumulation, as both an anti-oxidant and an iron chelator. has been found in response to iron overload.
So in order to get rid of the excess iron your body is producing uric acid.
The author goes on to point out that iron depletion prevents the relapse of the acute arthritis of primary gout in 58% of gouty patients and markedly reduced its frequency and severity in the remaining 42%.
May I suggest you
DO SOMETHING AMAZING become a BLOOD DONOR and ask to give blood as often as you are permitted, every 3 months for men in the UK at the moment but it's possible if people keep nagging them that we could match the USA and donate every 8 weeks. If the Yanks can do it that often then surely so can the British male.
I should perhaps also point out that iron overload is often associated with getting older and is therefore associated with changes in hormone production (estrogen/testosterone) and these are also linked to lower production of VITAMIN D3 and MELATONIN (both of which increase neuroprotection against iron) Melatonin acts as an iron chelator.
So on one side of the equation we see iron levels going up and Vitamin D/melatonin levels go down which also reduces copper and magnesium levels.
Restoring Vitamin D3 25(OH)D levels to a natural 125nmol/l (50ng/ml) should be a priority.
f.lux: software to make your life better together with improved sleep hygiene (Mercola has written loads on both Vit D and improving Melatonin with Sleep Hygiene) Copper levels can be corrected with 2 mg/d copper supplement.
It would be worth asking your health professionals what your ferritin levels are and try to get them down to between 35 ~ 58 ng/mL range with regular blood donations.
Magnesium repletion with magnesium citrate 100mg with each meal may also help.
47
Bar Kohavi
January 14 18:43
Andreas hi,
i'm a personal trainer. very active in my life style, and was "eating healthy" until recently
i tried almost every diet in the books for the past 6 years just for the sake of giving the best advice to my trainees by experience and not just by reading about it. last year i tried a diet which is kind of similar LCHF (which i thought made sense) and got great results.but didn't really know why until i bumped into your lecture on YouTube by chance as i call it.
i started on LCHF and am doing it strictly. for the last month the only carbs that got into my body where from onions which i eat a lot of a cup of blueberries through the hole month and vegetables such as tomatoes even though i lost 9 kilos (i was preparing myself for a project getting fat in purpose for three month before that). in a random visit at the doctor i got results of 144/74 in my blood pressure test. and i'm kind of worried since I've also been advocating it to my clients which got good results in their weight lose but what about the blood pressure. do you know why might i suddenly have high blood pressure which i never had before?
waiting anxiously to your answer
MVH
Bar
48
Ted Hutchinson
January 14 19:51
@random visit at the doctor i got results of 144/74 in my blood pressure test
It may well have been simply the fact this was a RANDOM visit to the doctor.
While none of us may want to believe it, the truth is that simply having your BP taken by a "health professional" causes it to be higher than you would have found at home doing it yourself.
It's called "white coat syndrome"
Home Blood pressure monitors are very cheap now.
UK high street chemists have them around the £15 mark and they may be even cheaper when Lidl's or Aldi have them on special offer.
I should have mentioned that a low carb diet typically is associated with LOWER blood pressure as is weight loss.
Reply: #50
49
Zepp
January 14 23:29
Yea.. one of the moste comon side effects of low carb is lower blood presure!
The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance
http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Science-Carbohydrate-Performance/dp/098...
It could be that this way of eating.. perticuly if one is an athlet.. need some mineral adjustment?
"Ketogenic diets and physical performance"
"Impaired physical performance is a common but not obligate result of a low carbohydrate diet. Lessons from traditional Inuit culture indicate that time for adaptation, optimized sodium and potassium nutriture, and constraint of protein to 15–25 % of daily energy expenditure allow unimpaired endurance performance despite nutritional ketosis."
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2
Reply to comment #48 by Ted Hutchinson
50
Bar Kohavi
January 15 12:23
Ted hi,
i actually did that. i have a blood pressure device by "Beurer" which i believe is accurate. and have checked myself a few weeks afterwords again at the office maybe me been anxious of seeing good results also had an effect on the test results but still no change
any other advice?
p/s/
in general i'm feeling great i have a lot of energy during the day and in exercises but the blood pressure results still worries me a bit.
Thanks Bar
Reply: #51
Reply to comment #50 by Bar Kohavi
51
Ted Hutchinson
January 15 12:48
You can download a free personal copy of the paper
Zinc, copper, and blood pressure: Human population studies
I haven't read it yet but my money would be on increasing copper a little (2mg/d) to counterbalance excess zinc.
This is not to be regarded as medical advice as I haven't yet read what the paper says.
52
Bar Kohavi
January 16 10:50
thanks ted
53
blerim
January 25 21:40
im 32 yrs my Bp 150/ 80 doctor says me to take pils RELIKA 4 mg anD NEBILEN 5 miligram and i started to use 3 days also i do not wannt to use for next life time . pleas tallme what to
Reply: #54
Reply to comment #53 by blerim
54
Zepp
January 26 15:54
Those pills seems to not be in sale in Sweden, so we dont know what those is good for!
And to the rest.. do you have any other conditions.. how mayby is the real reason for your condition?
Nebilen is probably a Beta blocker.. its often used to lower ones pulse.
There is no information on RELIKA on the whole Internet, you must have read wrong?
55
Http://garlandha.momaroo.com
April 27 10:54
These dietary changes are a most important aspect of your high blood pressure remedy.
The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension),
is a highly endorsed diet program to follow in controlling and possibly eliminating hypertension.
Once your reading goes over 140 systolic (top number), or 90 diastolic (bottom number), your risk of
cardiovascular disease increase.
56
Bob Sherman
April 29 1:11
What is the most affordable and accurate personnel blood pressure monitor?
Reply: #57
Reply to comment #56 by Bob Sherman
57
Ted Hutchinson
April 29 15:06
If you live in the UK then a Lloydspharmacy Blood Pressure Monitor and Cuff £14.99 is perfectly adequate. Several times I've taken mine with me to an appointment and checked the pressure on my Llodspharmacy BP monitor with the reading from the nurse at the surgery using their monitor and I've always found the special offer Lloyds monitor is consistent with the readings from the Surgery.monitor.
Do be aware that correcting potassium, magnesium and vitamin D3 levels will almost certainly drop BP readings. Most of us consume only about half the 4700mg potassium adequate intake and would benefit from increasing potassium by 2g daily.
Effect of increased potassium intake on cardiovascular risk factors and disease:
If you really can't manage the 7~9 portions of vegetables daily then at least make up the difference with potassium bicarbonate which is available as a food grade powder from EBAY or consider Potassium Bicarbonate capsules.
SuperhumanRadio has a useful programme on potassium.
and there is a supporting blogpost here The Macro-Mineral Alphabet & the Potential Health Hazards of Diet-Induced Latent Acidosis
Reply: #58
Reply to comment #57 by Ted Hutchinson
58
Ted Hutchinson
April 29 19:56
Useful summary of dietary suggestions for correcting high blood pressure.
Paleo and Hypertension

Should You Take Drugs for Mildly Elevated Blood Pressure?

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