All you need to know about High Blood Pressure

What do you mean by High Blood pressure?

High blood pressure is considered one of the risk factors for heart disease. It is prevalent among 30-40% of the urban population and 15-20% of the rural population in India. Every third person in India above the age of 40 is suffering from high blood pressure. 

 

 

How blood pressure rises?

 Hypertension is the net result of heart pumping force and resistance to blood flow applied by arteries. now what causes the heart to pump more forcefully and increased resistance to blood flow will be the main causative factor for increased blood pressure. high blood pressure is linked to problem in arteries and kidneys.

It also causes the endothelium of arteries to thicken and increase resistance to blood flow because of higher oxidative stress and inflammation. This condition leads to endothelium dysfunction where arteries are not able to contract or relax when required and thereby leading to hypertension. 

 

 

Types of Anti-Hypertensive Medications and their action

Diuretics: They help lowering blood pressure by making kidneys remove salt and water, thereby reducing blood volume. Low volume means low pressure. These kinds of drugs can lead to loss of minerals like magnesium, calcium or potassium and dehydration.

These minerals are important for proper relaxation and contraction of blood vessels. These drugs include lasix, aldactone or lasilactone, hydrochlorthiazide (they usually come in combination with many other blood pressure lowering drugs)

Beta blockers: Most commonly used drugs for lowering blood pressure by slowing down the heart beat. Atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol are commonly used drugs. Common side effects are impotence, tiredness or depression.

Alpha blockers: They help in reducing the nerve impulse conduction to vessels which tell when to contract. It includes drugs like Hytrin and Minipress. Side effects include dizziness or rapid heart rate.

ACE inhibitors: These drugs block an enzyme called Angiotensin II which signals blood vessels to contract. These include drugs like Lisinopril and ramipril and side effects are skin rashes, loss of taste or kidney failure.

ARB (angiotension receptor blocker): They work same as ACE inhibitors but instead of blocking angiotensin it stops the production of angiotensin to act upon vessels. This class includes losartan and valsartan.

Calcium channel blocker: These drugs prevent the entry of calcium into vessels and heart thereby preventing the contraction of vessels. This include nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem etc

Central Agonist: Central agonists also help decrease the blood vessels’ ability to tense up or contract. The central agonists follow a different nerve pathway than the alpha and beta-blockers, but accomplish the same goal of blood pressure reduction. It includes drugs like Aldomet and catapress.

All these medications may or may not work if underlying causes are not taken care of, such as nutritional deficiencies, stress, oxidative stress and lifestyle. Blood pressure can be easily controlled by applying few strategies on daily basis, few related to lifestyle modification, changing habits and introduction of few healthy foods or nutrients to our daily diet.

15 Things to do for lowering blood pressure naturally 

1. Stop Caffeine –  More than 50% of population have slower caffeine clearance rate. It leads to the accumulation of excess adrenaline raising blood pressure.

2. Add Magnesium – Low Magnesium levels versus higher calcium intake can increase the risk of hypertension (calcium acts as constrictor while magnesium as a relaxer). Add a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds per day.

3. Increase Vit C – Low Vit C, D and E levels (damage of arteries due to excessive free radical productions and all the above three act as free radical scavengers) can lead to increased oxidative stress. Consuming foods rich in vitamin C like guava, orange and lemon increases antioxidant capacity to neutralise free radicals 

4. Vitamin D – Lower Vitamin D levels have link to hypertension. Optimise levels by caps or injections by consulting your physician  (Optimal levels are 70 ng/ml)

5. Stop Smoking-  Smoking (nicotine) causes vasoconstriction lead to increases in blood pressure. 

6. Exercise – Keep moving (1 hour of physical activity or at least 10,000 steps per day). The most freely available anti-hypertensive tool 

7. De Stress – Adding yoga or Pranayam will help you to lower stress levels by activating parasympathetic nervous system and hence lower blood pressure 

8. Eliminate sugar – Higher sugar levels increases free radical production by increasing sugar and insulin levels. Higher insulin is directly correlated to decreased arterial diameter and hypertension 

9. Reduce weight (all are the sources of inflammation and lead to increased free radical production)

10. Stop Trans fatty acid intake (body doesn’t not know how to deal with them)

11. Reduce Sodium and increase potassium – High Sodium intake versus low potassium intake (potassium is a parasympathetic activator that helps in relaxing the arteries). Potassium rich foods are beans and chickpeas

12. Eating dark chocolate (80% cocoa) every day can help lower blood pressure

13. CoQ10 – 200-300 mg CoQ10 helps in lowering your blood pressure by 20 mmHg (statin drugs deplete C0Q10 levels)

14. Garlic – One or two garlic chopped or minced in your food helps lower blood pressure

15. Sesame seeds – Using sesame seeds or its oil for cooking helps in reducing elevated blood pressure 

Read other ways to lower blood pressure naturally.