Posted on 01/09/2020 6:20:28 AM PST by ConservativeMind
The October, November, and December 2013 issues of the Journal of Clinical Hypertension (a conservative journal) each included a section of a major research review article on a topic that hard-science, data-driven clinicians might not have taken seriously until recently. The topic under consideration: replacing antihypertensive medications with appropriate nutrition and nutraceutical supplements.
“People’s eyes have been opened,” he said. There has been amazement at how much science is in the literature to back up such strategies, he added, and surprise about the extent to which hypertension patients are clamoring to know more about ways to avoid or reduce the polypharmacy offered by conventional practitioners.
Functional medicine practitioners, aware of the increase in complex, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders, focus on identifying the underlying causes of disease and look for interactions between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. They seek to promote health and vitality by integrating conventional practices with prevention through combinations of drugs and/or botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification, exercise, and stress management rather than emphasizing acute symptom relief, urgent care, and elimination of illness and disease.
-snip-
The new treatment approach, Dr. Houston said, views hypertension as a disease in which the vascular biology is altered and the arteries need to be treated appropriately through nonpharmacological mechanisms: nutrition, nutraceutical supplements, antioxidants, weight loss, exercise, meditation, and sleep. Then the pharmacological approach can be integrated to achieve the maximum reduction and protection of the cardiovascular system. The preferred drugs are angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), and calcium-channel blockers (CCBs). Dr. Houston, in general, does not recommend beta blockers, diuretics, central alpha agonists, or alpha blockers. “But if you change the lifestyle and give it some time, eventually you probably can get [patients] off many of the drugs.”
(Excerpt) Read more at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ...
A good lifestyle and diet are vitally important. But that alone isn't’t going to do it for SOME people with certain problems, injuries or genes.
I was fortunate enough to have zero prescriptions to age 60, but I have a few (low dose) ones now.
Yes, it is.
I get it from time to time, but I would not say that it is persistent.
The drug keeps my pressure perfect too, and has done so for 10 years.
“Nutraceuticals”, “Ketogenic”
Two new words for me.
Exercise...., OVERRATED!
The angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) act on a similar basis but have fewer side effects. They are the enhanced alternative to ACE Inhibitors.
You may not have any coughing with them.
I’ve taken diovan for 10 years. I’m off it now. Why?
My blood pressure was 155/105 when it was prescribed. With diet (intermittent fasting with a keto-ish food selection), a Vitamin K supplement (500 micrograms/day - about what one gets from a serving of spinach, except I hate spinach) and restricting my caffeine intake to 6AM-Noon, my blood pressure is now 120/80. Without medication. Sometimes dropping a little below that.
I have no complaints about diovan. I didn’t experience side effects and it reduced my blood pressure down to 135/90. But diet changes have brought it lower than diovan did.
Note: “There have been no adverse effects of vitamin K seen with the levels found in food or supplements. However, this does not rule out danger with high dose. Researchers have not set a maximum safe dose.”
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/supplement-guide-vitamin-k#1
I doubt supplementing to a dose found in a serving of cooked spinach will prove harmful.
Bkmrk for later.
“So many patients buy into snake oil drugs”
Funny that you say that. If I remember correctly it is derived from snake venom, lol. I had the same dry cough, quit that stupidity. My BP is normal for the most part. Just going to the VA raises my BP though, never seen a bunch so lacking in critical thinking skills. I now take Garlic bulb, Olive leaf, or Hawthorn Berries for the problem from time to time. Trying to be a happy person helps, lol.
https://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=76180&name=LISINOPRIL
With singers like Lizzo being celebrated, and fitness guru Jillian Michaels being slammed for “fat-shaming” Lizzo, I’m sure diet and exercise will happen. /s
What irritates me is things like hypertension and under- and over- active thyroids must be treated for the rest of your life, but a prescription is only good for one year. No money to pay a doctor's office visit? No drugs for you. Yes, it happened to me about 20 years ago.
I'd go for the diet before having to take a drug.
This is according to the government Medicare website...
Sorry. Got them backwards.
Running won’t *prevent* heart attacks. Ask Jim Fixx, author of the best seller “The Complete Book of Running”.
Oh, wait. You can’t. He keeled over dead of a heart attack.
At 52.
While jogging.
Not that you’re completely incorrect, but when God calls you, you’re gonna go.
Had that same issue, so did my wife. We both got switched to an ARB. Problem solved.
“Lisinopril is what I take and it appears to be having a decent effect. However I do not like the extreme hacking cough that it produces. This is a known side effect.”
I have that symptom and did not see it listed as a side effect. I’ll do some more research. Thanks!
The coughing should be (no, *IS*) listed prominently in the paper(s) you get with the pills....maybe not on “routine just hand you the bottle” refills.... The pharmacist also verbally warned me. It concerns me because the coughing is so deep I feel like I’m gonna have a cerebral hemorrhage at times.
My brother had the same side effect and discontinued that Rx. I am not sure what he replaced it with. (He told me but I suck at recalling these convoluted drug names)
I monitor my blood pressure at home with a $300 machine - not a $40 one. I am rarely over my age specs. I have had my BP taken hundreds of times by “professionals”. I am often have high readings at the Doctors office. Out of those hundreds of times I have only had it taken per the recommended procedure ONCE the first time. I have to insist that they follow the spec.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/tips-to-measure-your-blood-pressure-correctly
Also I have found a wide variation of readings from the automatic machines at the Dr’s office. I always check them for a current calibration sticker. It should of been calibrated within a year. This is a big problem at independent Dr’s offices.
Don’t automatically assume that your BP is high because your Dr said so. Get checked out at another facility or buy a good machine and monitor it at home. Every decent machine manufacturer will calibrate their machines for you usually for a small fee. The manual cuff use requires some skill to get correct readings. Many young health care professionals do not come with that skill set.
Learn to breath in nose and out mouth while the test is being conducted - long and slow.
Arrive at the Dr’s office at least 15 minutes early and try to relax before being called in.
Schedule Dr’s appoints at your least stressful time of the day.
ymmv
Dismissiveness.
Nobody says you must live healthy. But do not expect miracles when family hoped you would live longer.
A few of us have followed the literature for decades.
We know from your first sentence, whether you choose to live long & healthy, or choose to go quickly in hospitals.
Life is work. Work hard to educate yourself.
Otherwise, be dismissive. Take your chances. Family will adjust.
Ping.
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