HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE The mistake your doc may be making: Sticking with lifestyle changes when you need drugs.
The evidence shows that it's safe to try to bring down mildly elevated blood pressure by eating better and exercising. But if your numbers are even moderately high, the advice is unequivocal: Your doctor must prescribe drugs because uncontrolled high blood pressure puts you at risk for a deadly heart attack or stroke.
Guidelines making this clear were crafted by a panel of leading scientists in 2003. But when 22 community doctors were asked by University of Texas researchers how they'd treat a hypothetical middle-aged man with the moderately high blood pressure of 145/92, nearly two thirds said they'd tell him to improve his lifestyle. Shockingly, only one of these practicing physicians was familiar with the recommended thresholds for prescribing drugs, says study author Joseph Ravenell, MD, now at New York University.
The right move: If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, you should almost certainly be on a prescription hypertension drug—and if one medication doesn't bring your readings into the normal range, you should be on more than one. Only people diagnosed with prehypertension (120 to 139 over 80 to 89) can get by with lifestyle changes alone. Those include exercising, losing weight if necessary, and eating a healthy, low-fat, low-salt diet.
Find a doctor who practices alternative medicine; as these treatments do not poison your body as do all prescription drugs as well as chemotherapy and radiation as used for cancer treatment and are mostly useless, especially for stage 4 cancers.
By krishnarjun rao, bangalore, india, 11/13/2009, 1:54 AM EST
Some medicine also cause asthma symptoms.
I found that some allergy drugs which were to be inhaled were causing asthma symptoms. And
some diabetic drugs like gp-1 causing wheezing.
By Eomiel, 11/12/2009, 7:01 PM EST
I am not the average person with High Blood Pressure. I developed it at 27.I was in good health and was not over weight. I went through a barrage of different test to make sure it wasn't from another cause. It wasn't. My highest reading was 212/182 and I will tell you it isnt fun to go through. Medi-cation is the only thing that worked. While I believe everyone is entitled to an opinion, I also have no tolerance for idiots. If it wasn't for Medicinal research many of us would not be here.
By Bryan Atkinson, DC, 11/11/2009, 10:02 PM EST
I am between the two extreams- If the patient is willing to make a true effort to change their lifestyle , I will expect to see their health improve, however, many people do not want to or have the self control to succeed and will be left with the pharmacological drugs. Before you praise the drugs do a google search or ask the pharmacist, look at the indication, contraindications, and side effects of any medication you choose to take. On meds or not, a positive lifestyle change will do wonders!
By Joanna, 11/10/2009, 10:36 AM EST
Sarah Vilmain is exercising her right to have and share her opinion. She is probably better informed about the health issues that concern her, having done her own research and being willing to change her lifestyle appropriately. Such forward thinkers have been shown to be much healthier than those who merely walk out of a Drs. office with a sheaf of prescriptions. Rocky, you are no gentleman! You are a bully. You have the right to an opinion on the issue, not to make personal attacks on others.
By Rocky, 11/08/2009, 10:02 PM EST
Sarah Vilmain is plan nuts. Without medicine many of us would be dead. She is probably one of those nutcases that denied their sick child medical treatment--the kid died, and a judge stuck them in jail. I think it was childhood diabetes. Sarah, go stick your head in the toilet and don't take it out for 20 minutes! You'll do the world a favor.
By Sarah Vilmain, 11/08/2009, 7:55 PM EST
These are some of the WORST suggestions I've ever heard! People are DYING from Asthma meds, there are SEVERE risks directly connected to vaccines, and if your blood pressure is high--get on DRUGS?? Wow! These are all suggestions that will make you SICKER. The body is designed to self-heal and self-regulate. Improper nerve function is the cause of malfunction/disease. When nerve health is restored, the body can heal itself. No drugs, no surgery. Please, see a WELLNESS Chiropractor instead!!!
By SEM, 11/06/2009, 5:30 PM EST
I fought high blood pressure for several years, finally doc added one more med (taking 5 to controll). My question is now it is fine shouldn't some of these be discontinued?
By Rachel Gertz, 11/05/2009, 1:53 PM EST
RE: Immunizations. Hopefully, doctors are also educating patients on side effects of vaccines. There is ample research to show that many chemicals such as aluminum, thimerisal and fermaldihide (sp), do correlate to things such as cancer, autism, alzhimers and other neurological defects. People should make an informed choice about vaccinations and realize that many of the products used in vaccines are not safe under the dosages until a person reaches 100 lbs.
By Joe W, 11/05/2009, 1:37 PM EST
Very good article.
Exercise can have huge impact on pain.
For many bone joints, like knee, back, the bones float on each other. As we grow, the bones set in based on certain muscles have certain strengths. With arthritis pain/back pain at 40, doc thought muscle atrophy was causing bones to sit differently. After 4 weeks of weight training I could run again.
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