Health Alert 254
Dear Subscriber: Are you taking medication for hypertension but still can’t get your blood pressure under control? You’re not alone. The fact is only 42.9% of patients on anti-hypertension medications see acceptable blood pressure levels.1
Today you’ll learn why your blood pressure medication may not be working as well as you’d hoped. I’ll also tell you about natural remedies that have proven effective at reducing blood pressure.
Doctors often use ACE inhibitors to treat high blood pressure because drug companies convinced them these drugs are better than the traditional treatment of water pills. But now a very large study sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute proved these drugs are actually far less effective than diuretics. In a disturbing twist, all the original evidence supporting the effectiveness of ACE inhibitors seems to have disappeared.2
In another study researchers discovered that instead of decreasing hypertension as hoped, statin drugs were linked to a higher incidence of cardiovascular deaths than the control group.3 And other studies show statins actually increase hypertension.
This research would seem to point to water pills as the safest choice for treating hypertension. But diuretics carry their own set of side effects, including increased LDL (bad cholesterol).
Fortunately, most people can get their blood pressure under control with a few simple dietary changes:
- Reduce your salt intake to help lower the amount of fluid that builds up in your body. In addition, Vitamin B-6 helps in the removal of excess sodium. About 5 mg a day is a therapeutic dose of B-6.
- Eat garlic to open blood vessels and allow blood to flow unrestricted. The best way to get garlic is to eat 2 raw cloves daily.
- Increase your intake of vitamin C. There is a definite correlation between higher Vitamin C and lower blood pressures. The greater the Vitamin C in the body, the less likely that blood pressure will be high.4
You can experience excellent results with natural remedies like these, but don’t stop taking your blood pressure medication on your own. It’s important to monitor your BP on a regular basis. Either make regular check-ups with your doctor, or monitor it at home. Work with your doctor to reduce your dosage safely as your BP levels improve.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears MD
Sources:
1. Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension May 2000; www.mercola.com/2000/may/28/blood_pressure.htm
2. Sears, A. Dr.; The Doctor’s Heart Cure, Dragon Door Publications: Minnesota, 2004
3. ALLHAT study; Journal of American Medicine; December 18, 2002
4. Sears, A. Dr.; Do You Have A Drug Problem?; Health Alert #91