Body Wise*

*The information contained herein is not intended to diagnose or treat ANY medical condition.

Hypertension: Treatment and Prevention

By Jason Barker

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent health conditions around today, affecting roughly 30% of the American population.

A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80; hypertension is defined as a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher.

What do the numbers mean?
The term “blood pressure” refers to the body’s vascular system and the pressure necessary to push blood throughout the body, working against gravity. The first number (systolic) in a blood pressure reading is the peak pressure recorded when the heart contracts. The second number (diastolic) is recorded in between heart contractions (beats), and measures the point at which blood pressure is lowest in the cycle.

Blood pressure is supposed to become elevated during exercise or other forms of exertion. However, when blood pressure stays high continuously, it will begin to damage certain areas of the body, often without showing any symptoms until it has progressed unchecked for a long time.

Left untreated, hypertension can lead to damage in the kidneys, heart, eyes, blood vessels, and brain. When these organs are damaged by hypertension, serious and life-threatening consequences are often the result. This is why medical professionals are so vigilant about identifying and controlling high blood pressure.

Hypertension is often called “the silent killer.” Typically there are no symptoms associated with hypertension until it has become extremely high or organ damage has occurred. The only way to diagnose hypertension is by checking a person’s blood pressure.

What can we do to prevent hypertension? There are a number of preventive approaches available. Lifestyle modifications may include:

Decreasing dietary sodium to under 2.4 grams per day.
• Exercising at least 30 minutes a day, four to five times a week.
• Limiting alcohol to one to two drinks per day.
• Losing 10 pounds or more of body weight.
• Following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet that includes high amounts of fruits, vegetables, and the minerals potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and low amounts of fats and salt.

All of the above are excellent suggestions for not only preventing and lowering blood pressure, but they are also great guidelines for an overall healthy lifestyle.

Of these suggestions, exercise is by far the most effective treatment for hypertension. In fact, the combination of daily exercise and weight loss has been shown to lower blood pressure by roughly 20 points, which could be the difference between having hypertension or not. For many people, it is a similar reduction to what can be achieved by anti-hypertension medications, without the expense and side effects. This makes exercise one of the most cost-effective medicines for preventing and treating hypertension.

Lifestyle changes are the cornerstone for anyone dealing with hypertension, regardless of severity (get a checkup before plunging into an exercise program, though).

If you don’t know what your blood pressure is, get it checked. There are a number of places to do this, free of charge. Many grocery stores have blood pressure measuring stations, and there are always health fairs offering the service. Many fire stations will measure your blood pressure on a walk-in basis. You can also buy a blood pressure monitoring kit at any drug store and take your measurements at home. Periodically checking your blood pressure will make you aware of any changes; keeping a record over time provides a good history.

If your blood pressure is higher than 120/80 and approaching 140/90, check in with your physician and start a monitoring or treatment plan.

All treatment and prevention begins with the strategies listed above. Another place to look at is caffeine consumption. Caffeine, in the form of sodas, teas, or coffee, may raise resting blood pressure a significant amount. If your blood pressure is creeping up, it may be time to switch to decaffeinated beverages.

A second approach involves nutraceuticals, a combination of natural medicines that contain specific nutrients, vitamins, minerals, or herbs. Blood pressure is effectively reduced with several different nutraceuticals.

Treating mild to moderate hypertension without drugs is often successful and safe. The key is prevention with diet and exercise. And, if one already has hypertension, a more directed approach with lifestyle changes and the use of appropriate nutraceuticals or pharmaceutical medications can reduce the risks associated with this condition. However, this should be done by a physician that is knowledgeable about treating hypertension this way. Severe hypertension is typically treated with one or more pharmaceutical medicines.

Jason Barker, ND, is a Family Practice and Sports Medicine physician. His practice is at Back In Motion Sports Injuries Clinic in Beaverton, OR. He can be reached at 503-524-9040.