Add These Nutrients to Lower Your BP

Potassium: Lower Blood Pressure
Magnesium: Prevent Disease
Vitamin A: Up Your Beta-Carotene
Vitamin D: Strong Heart and Mind
Calcium: More Than Strong Bones
Vitamin C: Immunity Booster?
Fiber: Bulk Up  

Complete details:  http://goldeneramart-healthjunction.com/add-these-nutrients-to-lower-your-bp/

Difference in blood pressure between both arms 'reveal real health risk'

A difference in blood pressure between the right and left arm could indicate an increased risk of dying from heart disease, say doctors.

They discovered that a difference in systolic blood pressure of 15mm of mercury or more between the arms is linked to hardening of the arteries supplying blood to the legs and feet.

Their findings come after they reviewed 28 papers looking at variations in systolic blood pressure between the arms.

A high blood pressure reading is one that exceeds 140/90mm of mercury. The first figure is called the systolic pressure.

The study, published online in The Lancet medical journal, found that a difference of 15mm of mercury or more was linked with a 2.5-fold extra risk of peripheral vascular disease.

PVD is the narrowing and hardening of the arteries that supply blood to the legs and feet.

The risk of cerebrovascular disease, which affects the blood supply to the brain and may lead to strokes, was increased 1.5 times. Study leader Dr Christopher Clark, of the Peninsula College of

Medicine and Dentistry at Exeter University, said it was likely one arm was giving a lower figure because of a reduction in blood flow, which could signal arterial disease.

He said it was also important routinely to check whether there was a significant difference between arms because the arm giving the highest figure was the ‘true’ reading.

Dr Clark called for GPs to take blood pressure in both arms and for people testing their blood pressure at home to do the same.

‘PVD is often diagnosed based on symptoms such as difficulty walking,’ he said.

‘By finding a difference in blood pressure between arms it is possible we could investigate potential problems at an earlier stage, even in patients who do not have high blood pressure.

‘This means we can do further tests to measure the blood pressure in the legs and where there is PVD give advice on stopping smoking and lifestyle, and if necessary blood thinning drugs or statins.’

By Daily Mail Reporter

What causes very low blood pressure?

Thanks for an interesting question. First, I should define a normal blood pressure.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury. The first or upper number is known as the systolic blood pressure. It is the pressure that occurs in the arteries when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood.

A normal systolic is 120 or less. Blood pressure of 120 to 140 is considered pre-hypertensive. A systolic over 140 is considered hypertensive.

The diastolic is the second or lower number. It is the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes and fills with blood. A diastolic of less than 90 is considered normal.

If you are using an automatic blood pressure cuff, it may be reading the diastolic lower than it actually is. This is often a problem if the blood pressure cuff is too big or too small for your arm.

Low blood pressure is only a concern when a patient has symptoms such as being lightheaded, a change in vision, losing consciousness, shortness of breath, or poor exercise tolerance. Patients most commonly complain of these symptoms when standing up from a sitting position or sitting up after lying down for awhile. This is called orthostatic hypotension and usually lasts only a short time. Patients with these symptoms need to seek medical attention.

Hypotension (low blood pressure) is most commonly caused by medications. Blood pressure medications, antidepressants and other drugs can impair the nerves of blood vessels in the legs. Normally these nerves make blood vessels in the leg contract when one is rising. When the blood vessels do not contract when changing position, blood is pooled in the legs. This deprives some blood volume from the heart, and the symptoms occur due to decreased blood perfusion of the brain.

Some patients have symptomatic low blood pressure due to a low amount of fluid in their body. This is called hypovolemia. It can be due to dehydration, caused by sweating from exercise, decreased oral intake, or use of a diuretic. Diuretics are commonly used to treat high blood pressure, but one of the most common diuretics that people encounter is caffeine.

Uncommon reasons for a low blood pressure include problems of the heart. One way that most people's bodies deal with a small amount of dehydration is to increase the heart rate, but some patients have a heart problem that does not allow them to increase their heart rate. This is often treated with a pacemaker.

Congestive heart failure is often associated with high blood pressure but can also be associated with symptomatic low blood pressure. New onset congestive heart failure is an emergency.

Very rarely, the cause of the symptomatic low blood pressure cannot be determined. There are some drug therapies that are used in these cases. Increased salt intake is often a simple solution.

Low blood pressure without any symptoms merits a medical evaluation, but rarely needs to be treated.

Conditions Expert 
Dr. Otis Brawley Chief Medical Officer,
American Cancer Society 

Frequently Asked Questions About High Blood Pressure

Answers to your frequently asked questions about hypertension, commonly called high blood pressure.

1. What Causes High Blood Pressure?

While the cause of high blood pressure in most people remains unclear, a variety of conditions -- such as getting little or no exercise, poor diet, obesity, older age, and genetics -- can lead to hypertension.

2. What Is Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure?

The blood pressure reading is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and is written as systolic pressure, the force of the blood against the artery walls as your heart beats, over diastolic pressure, the blood pressure between heartbeats. For example, a blood pressure reading is written as 120/80 mm Hg, or "120 over 80". The systolic pressure is 120 and the diastolic pressure is 80.

3. What Is a Normal Blood Pressure?

The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure has classified blood pressure measurements into several categories:

• "Normal" blood pressure is systolic pressure less than 120 and diastolic pressure less than 80 mmHg
• "Prehypertension" is systolic pressure of120-139 or diastolic pressure of 80-89 mmHg
• Stage 1 Hypertension is blood pressure greater than systolic pressure of 140-159 or diastolic pressure of 90-99 mmHg or greater.
• Stage 2 Hypertension is systolic pressure of 160 or greater or diastolic pressure of 100 or greater.

 4. What Health Problems Are Associated With High Blood Pressure?
Several potentially serious health conditions are linked to high blood pressure, including:

• Atherosclerosis: a disease of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque, or fatty material, on the inside walls of the blood vessels. Hypertension contributes to this buildup by putting added stress and force on the artery walls.
• Heart Disease: heart failure (the heart can't adequately pump blood), ischemic heart disease (the heart tissue doesn't get enough blood), and hypertensive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) are all associated with high blood pressure.
• Kidney Disease: Hypertension can damage the blood vessels and filters in the kidneys, so that the kidneys cannot excrete waste properly.
• Stroke: Hypertension can lead to stroke, either by contributing to the process of atherosclerosis (which can lead to blockages and/or clots), or by weakening the blood vessel wall and causing it to rupture.
• Eye Disease: Hypertension can damage the very small blood vessels in the retina.

5. How Do I Know if I Have High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure often doesn't have any symptoms, so you usually don't feel it. For that reason, hypertension is usually diagnosed by a health care professional on a routine visit. This is especially important if you have a close relative who has hypertension or embody risk factors for it.
If your blood pressure is extremely high, you may have unusually strong headaches, chest pain, and heart failure (especially difficulty breathing and poor exercise tolerance). If you have any of these symptoms, seek treatment immediately.

6. What Is the Treatment for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure treatment usually involves making lifestyle changes and, if necessary, drug therapy.
Lifestyle changes for high blood pressure include:

• Losing weight.
• Quitting smoking.
• Eating a healthy diet, such as the DASH diet.
• Reducing the amount of salt in your diet.
• Regular aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking).
• Limiting alcohol drinking.

High blood pressure drugs include angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, diuretics, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers.

7. What Are the Side Effects of High Blood Pressure Drugs?

As is true with any medication, high blood pressure drugs have side effects. Among the most common are the following:

• Diuretics: headache, weakness, joint or muscle pain, low potassium blood levels.
• ACE inhibitors: dry and persistent cough, headache, diarrhea, high potassium blood levels.
• Angiotensin receptor blockers: fatigue, dizziness or fainting, muscle pain, diarrhea.
• Calcium channel blockers: dizziness, trouble breathing, heart rhythm problems, ankle swelling.
• Beta-blockers: dizziness or lightheadedness, decreased sexual ability, drowsiness, low heart rate.

8. What Type of Diet Should I Follow if I Have High Blood Pressure

A healthy diet, such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, is very effective at lowering high blood pressure. The DASH diet calls for a certain number of daily servings from various food groups, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
The following steps can also help:

• Eating more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods
• Eating less of foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, such as fried foods
• Eating more whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts
• Eating less red meat and sweets
• Eating foods that are high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium

9. When Should I Call My Doctor About High Blood Pressure?

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, it's important to see your doctor on a regular basis. He or she can answer your questions during these visits.
However, there may be other times when you may need to speak to your doctor. For instance:

• If you aren't responding to the prescribed treatment and your blood pressure is still high.
• If you are having any side effects from the blood pressure medication. If this happens, your doctor may wish to adjust the dosage of the medication or put you on another medication.

10. Are There any Drugs that Cause High Blood Pressure?

Some drugs that you take for another condition may cause high blood pressure. These include amphetamines, Ritalin, corticosteroids, hormones (including birth control pills), migraine medications, cyclosporine, and erythropoietin.

Also, many over-the-counter medications that contain pseudoephedrine and ephedrine (for example, allergy, cold, and asthma medications and appetite suppressants) can cause hypertension.
Don't stop taking any prescribed medication, including high blood pressure drugs, on your own without talking to your doctor.

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Sleep Deprivation Plus Stress Hurts Blood Pressure

Study: Blood Pressure Rises 10 More Points When Sleep Deprivation Is Added to Stress

By Brenda Goodman
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

June 15, 2011 -- A stressful day after a poor night of sleep may be an especially bad combination for blood pressure, a new study shows.

Researchers recruited 20 healthy young adults and measured their blood pressure at rest and then after a stressful task, in this case, giving an impromptu speech where they had to defend themselves for a supposed transgression -- either running a stop sign or taking someone’s wallet.

A week later, after staying up all night, study participants returned to the lab to take the tests again.

Systolic blood pressures, the top number on a blood pressure reading, climbed about 10 points higher when fatigued people were delivering their speeches compared to when they were doing the same task well rested.

“Lack of sleep in combination with stress caused a much higher increase in blood pressure,” says study researcher Peter L. Franzen, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh’s Sleep Medicine Institute.

It suggests that not getting enough sleep may be involved in the development of cardiovascular disease, he says.

While 10 extra points may not sound like a huge difference, experts who study blood pressure say it’s important.
“That’s clinically relevant,” says David Pollock, PhD, regents professor of medicine at the Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta.

Previous studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can raise blood pressure, as can stress. But few have looked at what happens when sleepy people are under pressure.

“It’s a fascinating thing because everybody can relate to this,” says Pollock, who says he has borderline hypertension himself. “It’s something that we’ve all experienced this at one time or another. To me, what I’d really like to know is how you can get a good night sleep all the time?” 

While the study may be easy to relate to, Pollock says the results need to be replicated by larger studies that look at more diverse populations.

And he says repeating the study will be important because poor sleep and stress seem to go hand in hand.

“Not only is stress common, getting a short amount of sleep is common and one probably leads to the other in a spiral,” Franzen says. “If you’re having a lot of stress, we know that tends to cause insomnia. These things often show up together.”

According to the CDC, one in three Americans has high blood pressure. The condition has few symptoms and is often called the “silent killer” because it can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure and may damage the kidneys and other organs.

About one in five Americans has hypertension that’s uncontrolled, meaning that it is untreated or that that medications or other treatments have failed to bring it down.

“If someone is having difficulty with blood pressure, maybe having an independent focus on their sleep is important to do,” he says.

This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be considered preliminary because they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

High Blood Pressure - Are You At Risk?

When your heart pumps blood, pressure is exerted against the walls of the arteries, prompting the term “blood pressure". While your heart is actively pumping blood, your blood pressure is at its highest, referred to as systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest - between beats - your blood pressure falls, this is diastolic pressure. These two numbers are used to determine your blood pressure with the systolic pressure being placed ahead of the diastolic pressure and written one above or before the other, such as 120/80 (normal). Both of these numbers are important. Any reading above 120/80 places the body at risk, the higher the pressure, the greater the risk. 

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a chronic ailment in which the blood pressure (BP) reading is constantly 140/90 and above. If this pressure rises and remains high for a prolong period it can cause serious damage in the form of: stroke, heart attack, heart failure, arterial aneurysm or kidney failure. Signs of prehypertension are 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom numbers, this is a precursor to high blood pressure and immediate steps should taken to avoid a more serious condition.

The principal types of hypertension are: primary (essential) hypertension and secondary hypertension: The majority of people diagnosed, suffer from primary hypertension with there being no identifiable cause for the illness. Although there are no specific causes the consensus is that: family history, environment, smoking, diet, obesity, salt intake and sensitivity are probable contributors. Secondary hypertension is a condition brought on by an existing heart, arteries or kidney ailment. Similar to primary hypertension there are no overt signs or symptoms, this has given rise to its reputation as “the silent killer”. Additional factors which may contribute to high blood pressure are: tumors, alcohol addiction, thyroid dysfunction, birth control pills, pregnancy and narrowing of the aorta. Most people are not even aware that they are suffering with high blood pressure and it only becomes apparent upon examination by a physician. Unfortunately in a majority of cases by the time a diagnosis is made the disease is in quite an advanced stage.

There’s a two pronged approach to providing treatment for this disease. They are: medication and self care. In situations where the illness is due to the existence of another disease, the high blood pressure will be alleviated once this primary disease is treated. For sufferers of secondary hypertension there are a variety of prescription drugs available: diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers

• Diuretics (Water Pills) – recommended as the first line of treatment, this medication work on the kidneys to help rid your body of sodium and water thus reducing blood pressure.
• Beta blockers – they reduce the effects of excitement and physical exertion on the heart and opens the blood vessels.  The heart then beats slower while exerting less force.
• Calcium Channel Blockers – These dilate the arteries thereby reducing the amount of pressure exerted on them, putting less strain on the heart.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE ) inhibitors – Angiotensin II is  a chemical produced in the blood which causes the muscles surrounding blood vessels to contract. The inhibitors restrict this activity allowing the blood vessels to enlarge.
•  Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers – This medication is similar in function to ACE inhibitors. It prevents angiotensin II from binding to angiotensin II receptors on blood vessels allowing the vessel to enlarge.

Some individuals are predisposed to getting the disease, with age, heredity, race and socio-economic status being some of the contributing factors. Likewise: obesity, sodium sensitivity, excessive alcohol and drug use along with lack of exercise. Whether you already suffer with the illness or are at risk of acquiring it, there are steps which you can take to improve, delay or prevent the rise in blood pressure. A healthy lifestyle, including weight loss, quitting smoking, limit of alcohol intake, a healthy diet and exercise can go a long way towards improving and maintaining your health.

Awareness of your blood pressure numbers can be key to avoiding the more serious consequences of neglect. Constant monitoring through use of a home blood pressure monitor or regular checkups by your doctor and following a treatment plan can go a long way towards ensuring long and lasting good health.

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Low Blood Pressure, Should You Be Concerned!

Blood pressure is the result of the flow of blood times the resistance in the blood vessels as the heart pumps out blood. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries. When the heart is actively pumping blood, the pressure is at its highest and referred to as systolic pressure. Between beats, when your heart is at rest the pressure falls this is diastolic pressure. These two numbers determine your blood pressure and are usually written one above/or before the other for example 120/80 or spoken as 120 over 80 (Normal). A reading of 90/60 or lower is considered as low (Hypotension), while 140/90 is considered as high (Hypertension). A blood pressure chart when used in tandem with your blood pressure monitor can be an invaluable tool towards alleviating your concerns or fears. 

Low blood pressure may not have gained the notoriety as that of high blood pressure but if left untreated its consequences can be just as damaging. There are a variety of ailments related to low blood pressure which if not diagnosed and treated in their early stages can lead to serious complications. Most prominent are: postural (orthostatic) hypotension and neutrally mediated (neurogenic orthostatic) hypotension.

Postural Hypotension manifests itself as a dizzy or light headed feeling when moving from a lying or sitting position to standing position. It is thought to be caused by the inability of the autonomic nervous system (the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary vital actions, such as the heartbeat) to respond appropriately to sudden changes. It is believed that this can happen for a variety of reasons including: lack of food, extended exposure to heat, or being overly tired. People who are taking medication for high blood pressure are also prone to this illness. Treatment is dependent on the severity of the symptoms and may include increased fluid and salt intake and avoiding prolong periods without food or drink. Medication which encourages sodium retention and absorption may also be prescribed.

Neutrally Mediated Hypotension - when the regulation of blood pressure by the body is affected, particularly when standing. It is believed to be a lack of communication between the brain and the nerve censors which control heart rate and blood pressure. Not always is the condition serious, in some cases it may just be temporary while in others it can result in a person being unable to stand for long periods, dizziness, blurred vision and near fainting.

The kidneys can balance low blood pressure naturally by retaining salt and water, thereby making medical intervention unnecessary. However, it is advisable that you speak to your doctor if your monitor registers consistent low blood pressure readings or you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned. For some people a reading below 120/80 is normal and no cause for alarm. This low or borderline reading is normal and may even be considered a sign of good cardiovascular health, since this can also be an indication of little stress on the heart, lungs and blood vessels. A fall in pressure may also be due to some event (example standing too quickly) or because of a medical condition. However, low blood pressure cannot always be ignored. If you experience frequent bouts of dizziness, fainting, blurred vision, nausea, rapid weak pulse, muscle weakness, fatigue, headache, cold clammy skin and lack of concentration you should consult your doctor for an evaluation, diagnosis and treatment, if necessary. In extreme cases the body can be deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen which can result in impaired heart and brain functions and respiratory problems leading to loss of consciousness or shock.

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Blood Pressure Management: Sleep On It

A daytime sleep could have cardiovascular benefits according to new research by Ryan Brindle and Sarah Conklin, PhD, from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania in the US. Their study, looking at the effect of a daytime nap on cardiovascular recovery following a stress test, found that those participants who slept for at least 45 minutes during the day had lower average blood pressure after psychological stress than those who did not sleep. The work is published in Springer's journal International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Long work schedules, shift work, increased anxiety and a greater use of the internet and television late at night - all characteristics of our modern society - have had an impact on nocturnal sleep. We no longer sleep as long as we used to: The average sleep duration is now almost 2 hours shorter per night than it was 50 years ago. And this could be impacting our long-term health. For example, sleeping less has been linked to an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular problems generally.

Brindle and Conklin's experiment examined how daytime sleep might influence cardiovascular recovery after a mental stress test in the laboratory. They split 85 healthy university students into two groups: One group was allotted a 60-minute interval during the day when they had the opportunity to sleep; the other group did not sleep during the day. The researchers also asked the students to complete questionnaires assessing sleep quality and complete a cardiovascular reactivity task, involving a complex mental subtracting exercise. Brindle and Conklin measured the students' blood pressure and pulse rates at regular intervals throughout the experiment.

They found that daytime sleep seemed to have a restorative effect with students in the sleep condition reporting lower scores of sleepiness than those who did not sleep. Although blood pressure and pulse rates rose in both groups between baseline and the stress phase, during the recovery phase, those who had napped had significantly lower average blood pressure readings than those who had not slept. These results show that sleeping between 45 and 60 minutes during the day appears to facilitate blood pressure recovery after a mental stress task in the laboratory.

Brindle and Conklin conclude: "Our findings suggest that daytime sleep may offer cardiovascular benefit by accelerating cardiovascular recovery following mental stressors. Further research is needed to explore the mechanism by which daytime sleep is linked with cardiovascular health and to evaluate daytime sleep as a recuperative and protective practice, especially for individuals with known cardiovascular disease risk and those with suboptimal sleep quality."

Source
Alpha Galileo

Home Blood Pressure Monitoring, What You Should Know

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is defined as a reading of 140/90 and above. It is strongly recommended by healthcare professionals and organizations that people suffering with the disease should make monitoring their blood pressure at home a daily routine. Keeping track of your readings give your doctor an added resource for determining if/how your medication is working and how much your pressure changes during the day. It also allows you to play a role in the managing of your illness while making you more aware of potential problems due to sudden changes. The American Heart Association strongly suggests that “monitoring blood pressure at home can be an effective way of tracking and treating hypertension”. Daily monitoring at home, rather than a few times per year by your health care professional, will certainly provide a much clearer picture of your illness, resulting in more effective treatment.

Choosing A Monitor

Blood pressure machines are readily available since a prescription is not required for their purchase. There are a variety of brands and features which make choosing the right one rather challenging. The first step would be to consult your doctor as to his/her recommendations.  You can also do your own research using the internet or other available public health mediums to gather information as to which machines offer the highest level of accuracy and convenience of use.  All monitors consist of the same basic components: an inflatable cuff/strap and a gauge for readouts. Some monitors have a stethoscope depending on the model. Your personal considerations should be: cuff size, display and stethoscope.

(a) An ill-fitting cuff will not give accurate readings so it’s very important that you use a cuff which makes good skin contact.

(b) The display should be clear and easy to read, particularly if you have visual problems.

(c) A blood pressure monitor which uses a stethoscope would require a small amount of training as to how it should be used correctly and how to interpret the sounds.

Regardless of your choice, once you’ve made the purchase, it is advisable that the machine be taken to your doctor to compare readings between your monitor and his/hers and if necessary have it calibrated. This will provide you with the assurance that your monitor is accurate and reliable.

Taking Your Blood Pressure

Once your monitor has been checked for accuracy you’re now ready to begin. To ensure the most accurate readings there are certain guidelines which one must follow:

(1) Empty your bladder before starting. An extended bladder can affect the reading.

(2) You must not drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, use alcohol or exercise for 30 minutes before taking the reading. Sit quietly for three to five minutes beforehand

(3) Sit with your arm supported at heart level, legs uncrossed and back straight.

(4) Place the cuff snuggly around the upper part of your bare arm (at least 1” above your elbow), leaving just enough room to slip one fingertip under the cuff.

(5) For manual inflation, pump the air button then press the button for reading.

(6) Stay silent during the process.

(7) Record the reading, if your monitor does not have memory capabilities and take a second reading 2 to 3 minutes later.

Guarding Against Inaccurate Readings

(1) Keep the monitor away from cellular phones during testing.

(2) Do not inflate when not in use.

(3) Do not use the monitor aboard a plane or moving vehicle.

(4) Avoid causing strong shocks or vibrations to the unit.

(5) Do not bend cuff when storing.

(6) Replace dead batteries on time, do not leave in machine.

Keeping an accurate record of your blood pressure readings is essential to managing or curing the disease. It is therefore absolutely necessary that your machine be reliable, that you take a precise reading and keep accurate records. Inaccurate readings can lead to misdiagnoses and by extension to life threatening complications. Be familiar with readings which are causes for concern and if in doubt, consult your doctor, health-care provider or emergency services.

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