High Blood Pressure -- The Number 1 Silent Killer

High blood pressure is the Number 1 silent killer disease. This silent killer is characterized by subtle symptoms that often go undetected.

High blood pressure (or hypertension) is a silent killer because it is deadly and has no early significant symptoms.

The American Heart Association estimates that up to one third of people living with high blood pressure are unaware of the fact that their blood pressure is high, and many people are unaware of the risks of high blood pressure.

Some of the statistics associated with high blood pressure and its impact include the following:

• 67 million American adults (31%) have high blood pressure—that’s 1 in every 3 American adults.
• 69% of people who have a first heart attack, 77% of people who have a first stroke, and 74% of people with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is also a major risk factor for kidney disease.
• More than 348,000 American deaths in 2009 included high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause.
• High blood pressure costs the nation $47.5 billion annually in direct medical expenses and $3.5 billion each year in lost productivity.
• About half (47%) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control.
• Almost 30% of American adults have pre-hypertension—blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range. Pre-hypertension raises your risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Reducing average population sodium intake from 3,300 mg to 2,300 mg per day may reduce cases of high blood pressure by 11 million and save 18 billion health care dollars annually.
• About 1 in 5 (20.4%) U.S. adults with high blood pressure don't know that they have it.
• About 7 in 10 U.S. adults (69.9%) with high blood pressure use medications to treat the condition.
• Team-based care that includes the patient, primary care provider, and other health care providers is a recommended strategy to reduce and control blood pressure

The chart below shows normal, at-risk, and high blood pressure levels.

Blood Pressure Levels
Normal	systolic: less than 120 mm Hg diastolic: less than 80mmHg
At risk (prehypertension)	systolic: 120–139 mm Hg diastolic: 80–89 mm Hg
High	systolic: 140 mm Hg or higher diastolic: 90 mm Hg or higher

The danger from high blood pressure is the extra load on the heart, leading to complications such as hypertensive heart disease, a heart attack, a stroke and congestive heart failure. High blood pressure can also seriously damage the kidneys.

And it does all this silently, without any major symptoms, except when the high blood pressure gets extreme.

Always get your blood pressure checked to rule out hypertension as part of regular medical checkups. 

High blood pressure affects millions of people around the world. This condition goes unnoticed for years unless we have the insurance to receive annual physicals and blood tests from our primary care physician.

For the people who are able to afford insurance and get annual physical exams, they end up "controlling" their blood pressure by taking drugs that mask the real problem and give us the false sense of security that everything is fine. But, over a period of years, we find ourselves having to take more and more medication to 'control" our blood pressure. Until one day, you discover that you have problems with your kidneys, liver, or heart due to taking these medications for so many years.

What to Do
So, what if you have high blood pressure, but you don't know it? We recommend that you visit your primary care physician at least once a year for a complete medical exam. A complete medical exam will uncover a problem such as high blood pressure. At that point, your doctor may recommend one or more medications to help lower your blood pressure.

However, we don't believe that you should rely solely on medications because they don't help to get rid of the disease in your body that is causing your high blood pressure. As a result, you would be required to take high blood pressure meds for the rest of your life.

Please Note: Recent studies show that long-term use of these medications can lead to more health problems, so, be careful. 

Next Steps
Once your physician has diagnosed you with high blood pressure, ask him/her to identify what type of high blood pressure you have. For example, if the systolic number is high and the diastolic number is normal, this is an indication of atherosclerotic hypertension -- a pre-cursor to atherosclerosis and heart disease. In that case, you may need to modify your nutritional program to help heal and repair your arteries.

Other types of high blood pressure include: Secondary Hypertension, Isolated Systolic Hypertension Diastolic Hypertension, Malignant Hypertension, Renal Hypertension, Pulmonary Hypertension, Resistant Hypertension.

If your physician can't identify what type of high blood pressure you have, then, whatever medications he/she recommends will be just a wild guess. And, once you start on medications, it will be difficult to get off the medications. In fact, the number of medications and their dosages will increase over time as your body becomes more dependent on the drug's effects.

When you see your physician for your annual exam, get your blood tested for other factors so that you have a broader picture of your overall health state. Some of the additional tests include: fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1C, inflammation markers, lipid panel, kidney tests, hormone levels, vitamin levels, mineral levels and other blood tests listed in the Death to Diabetes book and on the Death to Diabetes website.

It is very important that you make sure that you do not have any (marginal) nutritional deficiencies, i.e. macronutrient, vitamin, or mineral. Some of the key nutritional deficiencies that may affect your blood pressure include: magnesium, potassium, calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A and fats.

Next, change your dietary program to a plant-based diet such as the Death to Diabetes Diet. Start eating a lot more vegetables, drinking raw juices and avoid eating the major "dead" processed foods, and a regular exercise regimen of brisk walking, stretching, and resistance training 4 to 6 times a week.

And, based on your blood tests, add the necessary nutritional supplementation -- but, make that you use wholefood-based supplements and avoid synthetic supplements.

Some Additional Steps to Consider:

• Get a home blood pressure monitor so that you can check your blood pressure on a regular basis.
• Make sure that you're getting 8 hours of quality sleep every night.
• Address the stress in your life and learn how to control your emotions -- getting upset over events that you have no control over will raise your blood pressure.
• Use meditation techniques to change the way you think about the world around you.
• Educate yourself about diabetes, blood pressure, nutrition, etc. Without education, we live with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. This, in turn, leads to fear, which creates anger and more anxiety and raises your blood pressure.

Please Note: The Death to Diabetes Diet is not just for diabetics! Non-diabetics can also use this diet program.

Please Note: Because of their impact on our health, nutritional deficiencies will be discussed in more detail in a future blog post.

Warning! More than 87% of people who end up in the hospital because of high blood pressure, do not change their eating habits or lifestyle. As a result, 91% of them return to the hospital or end up in the graveyard.

FYI: Ironically, this top silent killer disease is fueled by what the author calls the "triple-killer foods" along with the 5 "dead" foods. So, make sure that you avoid these foods, especially if this silent killer is stalking you.

Laboratory and Other Tests

If a physical examination indicates hypertension, additional tests may help determine whether it is secondary hypertension caused by another medical disorder) and whether organ damage is present.

Blood Tests and Urinalysis. These tests are performed to check for a number of factors, including potassium levels, cholesterol, blood sugar (to screen for diabetes), infection, kidney function, and other possible problems. Measuring blood levels of the protein creatinine, for example, is important for all hypertensive patients in order to determine kidney damage.
Tests to Evaluate the Heart. These tests include:

• An electrocardiogram (ECG) is performed on most patients in the doctor's office.

• An exercise stress test may be needed for patients who also have symptoms of coronary artery disease.
• An echocardiogram is needed when it would help the doctor decide whether to start treatment. Most of the time this test is not necessary for patients who have only hypertension and no other symptoms.

Tests To Evaluate the Kidneys. These tests include:

• A Doppler or duplex test may be performed to see whether one of the arteries supplying blood to the kidney is narrowed, a condition called renal artery stenosis.
• An ultrasound may also be performed to examine the kidneys.

References:

1. Kochanek KD, Xu JQ, Murphy SL, Miniño AM, Kung HC. Deaths: final data for 2009. National vital statistics reports. 2011;60(3).
2. CDC. Vital signs: prevalence, treatment, and control of hypertension—United States, 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. MMWR. 2011;60(4):103-8.
3. Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, Benjamin EJ, Berry JD, Borden WB, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2012 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2012;125(1):e2–220.
4. Heidenreich PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou OA, Butler J, Dracup K, Ezekowitz MD, et al. Forecasting the future of cardiovascular disease in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123(8):933-44. Epub 2011 Jan 24.
5. Palar K, Sturm R. Potential societal savings from reduced sodium consumption in the U.S. adult population. American Journal of Health Promotion. 2009;24(1):49–57.
6. Hing E, Hall MJ, Ashman JJ, Xu J. National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2007 Outpatient Department Summary. National health statistics reports. 2012; no 28.
7. Guide to Community Preventive Services. Cardiovascular disease prevention and control: team-based care to improve blood pressure control. 2012. Accessed July 27, 2012.

Note: One of the key risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease is high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure and Type 2 Diabetes

High blood pressure is usually one of the major health complications associated with people who have Type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure is also a problem for most people who are overweight and live a sedentary lifestyle.

Key Point: If you reverse your Type 2 diabetes, in most cases your blood pressure will return to normal!

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is also one of the first signs that the cardiovascular system is lacking key nutrients and is under serious stress and deterioration. This is due to the heart’s extra force required to push the blood through the arteries eventually causing damage to the inner lining of the arteries. This, in turn, causes inflammation and leaves the arteries susceptible to the buildup of fatty plaque that can narrow or block the arteries and reduce blood flow to the body’s organs. When untreated, high blood pressure can lead to kidney damage, heart failure, stroke, and loss of vision from damage to the retina.

Unfortunately, high blood pressure is a “silent” symptom that goes undetected for years. Consequently, high blood pressure is well-known as one of the major silent killer diseases.

Most people don't realize that they have high blood pressure until another problem arises that triggers the need for a physical exam, e.g. blurry vision, constant headaches, heart arrhythmia, kidney problems. The key organs that are involved with high blood pressure include the heart, kidneys, arteries, and the neural and hormonal systems. The combination of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes is particularly stressful on the kidneys. 

High blood pressure is generally defined as a level exceeding 140/90 mm Hg on multiple occasions. The systolic blood pressure, which is the first number, represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and pumps blood throughout the circulatory system. The diastolic pressure, which is the second number, represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after the contraction.

An elevation of the systolic or diastolic blood pressure increases the risk of developing heart (cardiac) disease, kidney (renal) disease, hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), glaucoma (eye damage), and stroke (brain damage). Usually a high systolic number indicates problems with the cardiovascular system and the liver, while a high diastolic number indicates problems with the kidneys and the liver.

These complications of high blood pressure are often referred to as end-organ damage because damage to these organs is the end result of chronic (long duration) high blood pressure. Accordingly, the diagnosis of high blood pressure in an individual is important so that efforts can be made to normalize the blood pressure and, thereby, prevent the complications.

For some people, high blood pressure may be defined at a level lower than 140/90 mm Hg. For example, in certain situations, such as in patients with long duration (chronic) kidney diseases that spill protein into the urine (proteinuria), the blood pressure is ideally kept at 125/75, or even lower. The purpose of reducing the blood pressure to this level in these patients is to slow the progression of kidney damage. Patients with diabetes may likewise benefit from blood pressure that is maintained at a level lower than 140/90. In addition, African-Americans, who have an increased risk for developing the complications of high blood pressure, may decrease this risk by reducing their diastolic blood pressure to 80 mm Hg or less.

Important: Not only can kidney disease cause high blood pressure, but high blood pressure can cause kidney disease. Therefore, all patients with high blood pressure should be evaluated for the presence of kidney disease so that they can be treated appropriately.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of high blood pressure is more than reading the numbers off the monitor. It may take several months of doctor visits, monitoring and testing, including an electrocardiogram to prevent a false reading. The diagnosis starts with measuring your blood pressure using a mercury manometer and a properly fitted arm cuff, with your elbow at the same level as your heart, not below it. There is usually a small difference between the left and right side.

Ideal systolic-diastolic pressure values are under 120/80. Values over 180/110 are a definite concern. If the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure exceeds 60, advanced atherosclerosis may be present. Values greater than 140/90 are a concern if you have other risk factors such as being overweight. You may require further testing, which may involve wearing a small automatic measuring device and recorder for 24 hours.

To prevent a false diagnosis, have your blood pressure checked while sitting, standing and lying down – if readings skyrocket when you change position, this may indicate a problem with the adrenal glands. All this information is collected and analyzed by your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Primary Root Causes

In order to understand the best ways to treat high blood pressure (without drugs), it is very important to understand the primary root causes which cause the heart muscle to work harder to push the blood throughout the body. They include: an increase in the volume of blood and fluids, e.g. fluid retention due to cell dehydration; a decrease in the diameter of the artery walls; a decrease in the elasticity of the arteries; an increase in blood viscosity (thick blood); a clogged liver; a clogging of the smaller capillaries in the kidneys; reduced nitric oxide; a constriction of the arteries due to an increase in cortisol levels; a defective heart muscle or heart valve; poor filtering of the blood by the kidneys; and an increase in hormonal levels (i.e. cortisol) due to stress.

When the heart tries to “push” thick, sticky blood through the blood vessels, it’s similar to forcing ketchup out of a bottle. You have to pound the bottom of the bottle to provide enough force to get the ketchup out of the bottle. This is analogous to the pounding that the heart has to perform to generate enough force to push the thick blood throughout the body.

And, this extra pounding can cause headaches and blurry vision while creating more pressure that causes injuries to the linings of the arterial walls. These wall injuries cause inflammatory and repair responses that lead to the production of various proteins and extra cholesterol to form plaque to repair the injured walls. The arterial walls become thickened (arteriosclerosis); and, if there is high homocysteine, this can lead to the formation of more plaque and blood clots (atherosclerosis).

As you can see, there are many causes of high blood pressure. In order to determine which ones are causing your high blood pressure, it is critical to have your doctor perform all the necessary blood tests and other diagnostic tests that may help to better diagnose the root cause(s) of your high blood pressure, including testing for inflammation markers such as homocysteine, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein(a), and fibrin.

When the circulatory system is working properly, it delivers water and blood throughout the body, providing nutrients to all the cells and tissues of the body. Specifically, the blood provides key nutrients to the millions of artery wall cells, which are responsible for the availability of “relaxing factors” that decrease vascular wall tension and keep the blood pressure in the normal range. These key nutrients include Omega-3 EFAs, CoQ10, water, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, magnesium, folate, and arginine.

But, when there is a chronic deficiency of these nutrients, blood viscosity can increase, the artery walls can become damaged leading to plaque formation, or the artery walls can spasm and become thickened, leading to an increase in blood pressure.  Over time, components of the circulatory system such as the blood vessels may become inflamed and damaged, leading to other health issues such as thick blood, blood clots, cold feet/hands, chronic fatigue, and erectile dysfunction. This puts additional stress on other components of the circulatory system such as the heart, which can lead to a sudden stroke or heart attack.

How to Treat High Blood Pressure Naturally

Consequently, a consistent exercise regimen, stress reduction, and a nutritional program that addresses specific nutrient deficiencies can be beneficial in preventing and reversing high blood pressure. Believe it or not, a lot of people, especially in the U.S., have high blood pressure because they either avoid "real" salt or they use the wrong kind of salt!

In general, for good heart health and lower blood pressure, avoid the processed foods, drink raw vegetable juices, and eat more green and bright-colored vegetables such as spinach, kale,  broccoli, and red peppers for the Vitamin C, chlorophyll, and other nutrients. Also, eat wild salmon, walnuts and flaxseed for the Omega-3 EFAs. Foods and nutrients such as filtered water, cayenne, celery, CoQ10, ginger, onions, and garlic nourish the cardiovascular system and help to lower your blood pressure. Refer to the wellness protocol section in Chapter 15  of the Death to Diabetes  book and the Power of Juicing ebook for more details about high blood pressure and heart health.

In addition, use spirituality, meditation, and avoid toxic relationships to reduce the stress in your life.

Refer to Chapter 13 (Body, Mind, & Spirit)  and the wellness protocol section in Chapter 15 of Death to Diabetes for more details. 

Drug Treatments for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is commonly treated with a drug such as a diuretic, an ACE inhibitor, or a beta blocker. Unfortunately, long term use of these drugs may cause more harm than good.

Some of the drugs listed below can affect certain functions of the body, resulting in dangerous side effects. In fact, some recent studies have shown that  the predominant side effect of these drugs is kidney damage.   And, the kidneys are needed to control our blood pressure! Another side effect is erectile dysfunction in men. In addition, other studies now show that some of these drugs (i.e. beta-blockers) actually weaken the heart muscle!

Diuretics. Some of these drugs may decrease your body's supply of a mineral called potassium. Symptoms such as weakness, leg cramps or being tired may result.

Eating foods containing potassium may help prevent significant potassium loss. You could prevent potassium loss by taking a liquid or tablet that has potassium along with the diuretic, if your doctor recommends it. Diuretics such as amiloride (Midamar), spironolactone (Aldactone) or triamterene (Dyrenium) are called "potassium sparing" agents. They don’t cause the body to lose potassium. They might be prescribed alone but are usually used with another diuretic. Some of these combinations are Aldactazide, Dyazide, Maxzide or Moduretic.

But, don't take a second drug to counteract the first drug! -- eat the right foods that will lower your blood pressure without the need for the drugs!

Some people suffer from attacks of gout after prolonged treatment with diuretics. This side effect isn't common and can be managed by other treatment. This is because of hyperurecemia caused by diuretics.

In people with diabetes, diuretic drugs may increase the blood sugar level. A change in drug, diet, insulin or oral antidiabetic dosage corrects this in most cases. Your doctor can change your treatment. Most of the time the degree of increase in blood sugar isn't much. Impotence may also occur in a small percentage of people.

Beta-blockers. Acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Mepressor, Merol), nadolol (Corgard), pindolol (Visken), propranolol (Inderal) or timolol (Blocadren) may cause insomnia, cold hands and feet, tiredness or depression, a slow heartbeat or symptoms of asthma. Impotence may occur. If you have diabetes and you’re taking insulin, have your responses to therapy monitored closely.

ACE inhibitors. These drugs, such as captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Zestril or Prinivil), may cause a skin rash; loss of taste; a chronic dry, hacking cough most common side effect; and in rare instances, kidney damage.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers. These drugs may cause occasional dizziness.

Calcium channel blockers. Diltiazem (Cardizem), nicardipine (Cardene), Nifedipine (Procardia) and verapamil (Calan or Isoptin) may cause palpitations, swollen ankles edema, constipation, headache or dizziness. Side effects with each of these drugs differ a great deal.

Heart Medications. After a heart attack, certain drugs are prescribed by your cardiologist. Drugs are grouped by type or classes. If you have had a heart attack or a procedure to open or bypass a clogged heart artery (coronary artery) you are probably taking at least 2 or 3 of these drugs.

• Beta-blockers reduce the heart's workload by blocking the stimulating effects of the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. Beta-blockers lower blood pressure and protect the heart from developing dangerous heart rhythms. But, long-term use of these drugs can be dangerous.
• ACE inhibitors block one of the body's chemical systems that raise blood pressure. to help at lowering blood pressure.
• Aspirin helps to prevent blood clots from forming in the coronary arteries, but, may damage the inner lining of the stomach, leading to internal bleeding!
• Anticoagulants lower the risk of blood clots in the veins of the legs and inside the chambers of the heart. Doctors prescribe anticoagulants for people who are at above-average risk for blood clots in the legs or heart.
• Statins lower bad cholesterol (LDL), but, they do not prevent heart attacks and strokes as advertised! Over the past 20 years, the consumption of statin drugs has increased dramatically (75⁺ million users in the U.S.!), but heart attacks and strokes have increased over that same period of time! Read our web page about the infamous Statin Drug & Cholesterol Hoax.
• Key Point!: If you're taking a statin drug, make sure that you take CoQ10 to protect your heart. But, make sure that the CoQ10 is not synthetic! 
• Antibiotics help with some infections, but, some of the popular antibiotics such as the Z-Pak can cause more harm than good! In fact, death is a possibility! Be very careful and do your homework.
• Warning: The Food and Drug Administration issued a health warning for a widely prescribed antibiotic, commonly known as 'Z-Pack' and says it could trigger potentially irregular heart rhythms in some patients. It's sold as Zithromax or Zmax, but most know it as 'Z-Pack.' It's the most widely prescribed antibiotic for bacterial infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. However, the Food and Drug Administration warns that it could be deadly for some patients with heart problems.

Please Note: There are many foods and supplements that perform the same functions of these drugs without the dangerous side effects, i.e. arginine, broccoli, cayenne pepper, celery, garlic, ginger, green tea, onions, natto, Omega-3 EFAs, CoQ10. For more details about these foods and supplements, get the Death to Diabetes book/ebook or the How to Prevent a Heart Attack/Stroke ebook.

DTD Website Reference:
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Diabetes_HBP.html