HEALTH: High Blood Pressure - Stuck in the Danger Zone

[Guest guest]

STUCK IN THE DANGER ZONE

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

March 13, 2002

 

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Dear Reader,

 

The National High Blood Pressure Education Program estimates

that 42.3 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with

high blood pressure. About 25 million of them regularly take at

least one prescription drug to control it. But, according to a

growing body of research, the current mainstream approach is

failing miserably.

 

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine

reports that only about 30 percent of those being treated for

hypertension are " well controlled. " The others are still in a

dangerous zone, despite regular treatment with drugs and regular

checkups with their doctors. Why? Of course, the answer is

complex. But the study suggests that the signs of remaining risk

are plainly visible - if only their doctors knew what to look for.

 

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Even a " mild " increase in systolic pressure can DOUBLE your risk

of death

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I'm sure you're familiar with a blood pressure reading; it's

been standard medical practice for generations. Blood pressure

is represented as a fraction; systolic pressure, the top number,

represents the pressure of the blood against the artery walls

when the heart contracts, while the bottom number represents the

diastolic pressure, or the pressure against the artery walls

when the heart relaxes between beats. Generally, the threshold

for high blood pressure is 140/90 - anything above that mark is

characterized as hypertension.

 

Traditionally, most doctors have focused their attention on the

diastolic pressure, both in diagnosis and in treatment. Although

more and more research has supported the importance of the

systolic pressure over the past several decades, many mainstream

doctors have still not caught up. And as this latest research

suggests, that lack of understanding could mean the difference

between life and death.

 

In a study of 4,714 French men currently under treatment for

hypertension, the men with systolic blood pressure (SBP) values

between 140 and 160 were two and a half times more likely to die

from cardiovascular disease than men with SBP values under 140.

As the authors note, a great proportion of people under

treatment for hypertension fall into this category; in this

cohort, about 45 percent of the participants had SBP values in

that range, despite their drug treatment. And, under current

guidelines, that 20-point jump would most likely be considered a

" mild " increase - even though the data indicates it more than

DOUBLES your risk of death.

 

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" Effective " drug treatment can still leave you at risk

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The scientists also report that this increased risk was

independent of the men's diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values;

even after they adjusted for high DBP, the risk remained the

same. On the other hand, the increased risk of high DBP did NOT

remain after adjustment for high SBP. As the authors wrote,

" After adjustment for SBP, DBP levels lost all predictive

value. " And while previous work suggested that SBP might be a

better indicator of cardiovascular risk in patients over 60,

most research still supported diastolic as the best marker for

younger patients. But in this study, the role of SBP was not

influenced by age - and in fact, the average age of the

participants was 51.

 

Of course, most conventional doctors prescribe antihypertensive

medications to their patients with high blood pressure. Many

call the treatment a success once the diastolic pressure has

gotten down below 90, even if the systolic is still above 140.

But as this study shows, even with treatment, SBP values above

140 are still too high - and may require even more aggressive

treatment.

 

If you have hypertension, you should be well aware of your

systolic and diastolic numbers - and have a comprehensive plan

to bring BOTH of them down. There are many ways to do that:

through diet, exercise, stress management approaches,

supplements and other natural remedies - and in some cases,

prescription drugs. In past issues of the HSI Members Alert

newsletter, we've written about natural ways to address blood

pressure, like the Chinese " immortality herb " jiaogulan, which

has been proven to regulate blood pressure (July 2000 issue) and

the Ayurvedic herb arjuna, which has been shown to offer

" significant cardioprotection. " (June 2001 issue).*

 

And if you're working with your doctor to address your blood

pressure concerns, ask him what your goals are - and make sure

those goals don't downplay the importance of your systolic

pressure. You may even want to ask your doctor to read this

study - see the source information at the end of this e-Alert

for the complete citation.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine 2002;162:582-586

 

* Before making any change or addition to current treatment,

please consult your physician. Some protocols may not be

appropriate depending on your personal medical history.

 

Copyright ©1997-2002 by Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C.

 

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