Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

A major study reviewed the diets of over 36,000 women for 7 years and they discovered an apparent correlation between a diet designed to lower blood pressure and heart failure.

The women in the study were between 48 and 83 years old and at the beginning of the study did not have a history of heart failure, diabetes mellitus or myocardial infarction. Using food-frequency questionnaires, the researchers compared participant’s diets to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet guidelines. After adjusting for variables such as age and socioeconomic background, they discovered that the women whose diet most closely resembled the DASH diet had a significantly lower risk of heart failure.

When they compared the quarter of women whose diets were the furthest from the DASH guidelines, to the quarter whose diets were the closest to the DASH diet, they found that the 25% of women whose diets most resembled the DASH guidelines saw a 37% reduction in their risk of heart failure. Upon further analysis, the researchers found that the 10% of women whose diet was most like the DASH diet saw a full 50% decrease in their risk of heart failure.
» More: DASH Diet Lowers Blood Pressure Naturally and Reduces Women’s Risk of Heart Failure

A common virus, usually devoid of symptoms, may play a role in hypertension according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS Pathogens.

The Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection infects between 50% and 80% of US adults by the time they are 40 years old and can cause serious illnesses, primarily in infants, although most people who have it never show any symptoms. However, researchers have found evidence that CMV causes an increase in rennin and angiotensin II, and when combined with a high cholesterol diet causes atherosclerotic plaque formation, which are all known to increase blood pressure.

“Increased expression of both renin and angiotensin II are important factors in hypertension in humans,” Dr. Crumpacker, one of the lead researchers. “What our study seems to indicate is that a persistent viral infection in the vessels’ endothelial cells is leading to increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, renin and angiotensin II, which are leading to increased blood pressure.”

The research indicates that antivirus treatments may be helpful in treating hypertension, although more research is needed.
» More: Common Virus Tied to High Blood Pressure

New research suggests that drinking at least three cups of either black or green tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant may significantly reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. Individuals with high blood pressure are prime candidates for ischemic stroke.

Researchers at UCLA conducted a meta-analysis in which they reviewed nine published studies involving almost 195,000 participants. The data indicated that there was a statistically significant decrease of 21% in stroke risk when participants drank three cups daily of black or green tea, and if the participant drank yet another 3 cups their risk of ischemic stroke decreased yet another 21%. A randomized clinical trial is the next step to confirming their findings.

While the exact reason for this relationship is unknown, researchers hypothesize that antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate or the amino acid theanine may be responsible for the decrease in risk. Theanine is a remarkable amino acid that may block the glutamate receptor in the brain, and since glutamate is known to be associated with stroke, this action could be contributing to the observed decrease in stroke risk.
» More: Green and Black Tea May Reduce Stroke Risk