Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

More Reasons to Try the DASH Diet

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:21:56 +0000

New research shows that not only does the DASH Diet lower blood pressure naturally, but it may also reduce the risk of heart attack.

The DASH diet emphasizes eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, nuts, and fish as opposed to the typical American diet which is full of saturated fats and sweets. For the purpose of this study, 436 hypertensives and borderline hypertensives not currently undergoing treatment ate either according to the DASH guidelines, the typical American diet or the typical American diet plus extra fruits and vegetables. The study utilized the Framingham Heart Study risk equation to determine heart attack risk over 10 years.

At the end of eight weeks, the study found that those on the DASH diet not only lowered their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by approximately 7% and their systolic blood pressure by 7mmHg, but also reduced their risk of heart attack by 18% compared to those on the American diet. Those who ate the typical American diet but added fruits and vegetables also experienced a 11% decreased risk of heart disease versus those who ate the basic American diet.

The Zona Plus is another way to lower blood pressure naturally and can be used in conjunction with the DASH Diet.

For more information visit:

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/642655.html

Grumpy People May be More Prone to Heart Problems

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:03:13 +0000

New evidence shows that people who are particularly aggressive, angry and antagonistic may be at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Baltimore analyzed personality reports from 5,614 Italians with a mean age of about 42 combined with ultrasound imaging information as well as data about other major cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure, to determine if there was a correlation between personality traits and heart health.

The results of the study indicated that those who were angry and aggressive showed a greater thickness of the carotid arteries in the neck and also that the least agreeable and the most antagonistic people had a 40% increased risk for arterial wall thickening.

For more information visit: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20100816/anger-can-harm-the-heart.

Can a Coffee a Day Keep the Doctor Away?

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:24:58 +0000

Do you enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning? The first cup or two may actually be good for your heart! But can it help with lowering blood pressure?

The data of 435 hypertensive men and women, all 65 and older, from the Greek Island Ikaria was extrapolated from a larger study and then analyzed. It was discovered that those who drank just one to two cups of coffee experienced greater aortic distensibility than those who rarely drank coffee or those who drank three or more cups a day. It was also found that those who drank one to two cups per day also had a lower prevalence of diabetes, high cholesterol, a lower body mass index, higher creatinine clearance levels, as well as a lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease.

Interestingly enough, there appeared to be no difference in blood pressure between those who did drink coffee and those who did not.

Researchers speculate that the Greek coffees, which are believed to contain higher levels of phenol compounds, may offer more health benefits than those typically available in the U.S.

For more information, visit: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ESCCongress/21867

Are Your Blood Pressure Medications Acutally Raising Your Blood Pressure?

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:11:30 +0000

New research indicates that the blood pressure medications you may be taking to lower your blood pressure, have a good chance of actually raising your blood pressure!

945 New York residents with high blood pressure that were not currently undergoing hypertension treatment were enrolled in the study and followed from 1991-1998. Patients were either put on a diuretic, calcium channel blocker, beta blocker or an ACE inhibitor. Results indicated that, depending on the drug, the medication resulted in systolic blood pressure increases of more than 10mmHg for between 5 and 12% of the patients and diastolic increases of more than 5mmHg for between 6 and 20% of patients.

Researches believe that a patient’s response to blood pressure medications may be able to be predicted by renin levels and recommend renin testing prior to prescribing medications.

For more information visit:

http://www.nature.com/ajh/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ajh2010114a.html

http://www.physorg.com/news201423698.html

Cheap Diuretics Better Than Expensive Drugs for Lowering Blood Pressure

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:20:33 +0000

New information from ALLHAT, a major anti-hypertension study which included over 40,000 participants, recently released information showing that inexpensive diuretics outperformed expensive calcium blockers and ACE inhibitors over the course of the study when ability to lower blood pressure was not viewed as the only endpoint, but factors such as preventing stroke, heart failure and overall cardiovascular disease.

Information collected 13 years after the beginning of the ALLHAT trial revealed that, versus those on a diuretic, patients in the ACE inhibitor group had a 20 percent higher death rate from stroke, and participants who were in the calcium channel blocker group had a 12 percent higher rate of hospitalization and death because of heart failure.

Given that diuretics are often as effective as the other drugs at lowering blood pressure and appear to be accompanied by better outcomes on the whole, the study recommends that diuretics should be tried first by hypertensives as a means to lower blood pressure.

If the possibility of severely negative side effects associated with many antihypertension medications makes you nervous, check out the Zona Plus. It is an isometric handgrip therapy device shown to lower blood pressure naturally without negative side effects.

For more informaiton visit
http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=641986 or

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/allhat/facts.htm

Chili Peppers May Hold Secret to Lower Blood Pressure

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 05:01:20 +0000

If you are one of those people who enjoy spicy foods, then you are in luck! Both scientific and observational studies indicate that the active “hot” ingredient in chili peppers may be able to lower blood pressure naturally.

Capsaicin is the ingredient in chili pepper that makes them spicy. Chinese scientists realized that when genetically hypertensive rats were fed capsaicin, their constricted arteries became more and more relaxed and their blood pressure was lowered. It has also been observed that populations whose diet contains large amounts of capsaicin saw 25-50% fewer cases of high blood pressure.

While scientist have yet to determine how much capsaicin it takes to lower blood pressure, the research is promising as a potential breakthrough in the field of natural blood pressure control.

For more information visit http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/08/04/hot-tamale-chili-peppers-may-lower-blood-pressure/.

Endothelial Cells Damaged by Just a Little Belly Fat

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:41:47 +0000

Are those few extra vanity pounds around your wait truly just vanity? New evidence suggests that even a small gut could be damaging your heart and hurting your efforts to lower your blood pressure.

Our arteries are lined with endothelial cells which play a major role in the proper dilation and contraction of the arteries. Dysfunctional endothelial cells have been identified as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events, and as such maintaining their health has become the topic of clinical research. A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found evidence that visceral (abdominal) weight gain, even that associated with just being 10 pounds overweight, is damaging to endothelial cells and may lead to high blood pressure. The good news is that if the extra weight is lost, endothelial health appears to be restored.

Did you know that many things can damage our arteries, even things like pollution that we are exposed to every day? Did you also know that there is evidence indicating that using the Zona Plus regularly can help restore endothelial function? To learn more about the Zona Plus, and how it can www.zona.com.

For more information about the study references, visit:

http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/full/56/8/662.

Is a Protein Responsible for High Blood Pressure?

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 05:54:27 +0000

New research indicates that a specific protein may be responsible for certain cases of high blood pressure.

It has long been established that Nitric Oxide in the bloodstream plays an important role in endothelial (the lining in your arteries) function and artery dilation. Researchers out of the University of Pittsburgh have found evidence that a protein called thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) in mice inhibits the process that leads to the creation of Nitric Oxide, thus leading to improper artery function and poor dilation. It is suspected that a similar process occurs in humans and could be used to help formulate new medications.

The Zona Plus is a handheld isometric therapy device with clinical evidence indicating that it increases Nitric Oxide in the bloodstream and can help correct endothelial function.

FDA to Investigate ARBs and Possible Cancer Risk

admin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 04:36:49 +0000

A recent meta-analysis published in Lancet Oncology has prompted the FDA to begin a review the safety of angiotensin receptor blockers after the study found that ARBs may be associated with an increase in cancer rates.

Are you ready to look for a way to lower your blood pressure naturally? Check out the Zona Plus!

Does Alcohol Affect Blood Pressure?

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:51:32 +0000

With people looking to lower blood pressure through diet and without medications, the question, “does alcohol affect blood pressure” begs to be answered. In an effort to do just that, a group of medical professionals in 2001 conducted an in depth study of alcohol and hypertension.

The study was a meta-analysis, funded largely by the National Institutes of Health, which reviewed 14 high quality published medical studies which included over 2,200 patients. They statistically analyzed the results to discover not just if alcohol affects blood pressure, but how much it affects blood pressure as well. All of the trials were conducted in adults age 27 to 57 and they lasted an average of 8 weeks. (Xue 2001)

The results were that over half of the trials reported statistically significant reductions in systolic blood pressure. When individuals who normally consumed between 3 and 6 alcoholic drinks per day reduced their consumption by 67%, they experienced an average drop in their systolic blood pressure of 3.31 mmHg and 2.04 mmHg diastolic. These results were unaffected by whether the individual did or did not have hypertension. (Xue 2001)

Since all of the studies focused on heavy drinkers there is still some uncertainty as to the effect of moderate alcohol consumption. (Xue 2001)The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends that individuals, “Limit consumption to no more than 2 drinks (1 oz or 30 mL ethanol; e.g., 24 oz beer, 10 oz wine, or 3 oz 80-proof whiskey) per day in most men and to no more than 1 drink per day in women and lighter weight persons.”(2003)

SOURCES:

The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (2003). Hypertension. 2003;42:1206

Xue Xin; Jiang He; Maria G. Frontini; Lorraine G. Ogden; Oaitse I. Motsamai; Paul K. Whelton. (2001) Effects of Alcohol Reduction on Blood Pressure. Hypertension. 2001;38:1112.