Treat Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a problem for many people.
My name is Doctor Gordon Cameron and thank you for visiting my hypertension website. It's my aim in life to help you to lower blood pressure and to keep you up to date with new blood pressure information and treatment tips with the information written in a simple clear way.
Beta Blockers for Blood Pressure
The role of Beta Blockers in blood pressure treatmentThe newest set of UK guidelines for blood pressure (shortly to be mirrored world wide I'm sure) say that beta blocker medications should no longer be used as first choice or first line treatment for high blood pressure.
This is not the same as saying that they should not be used at all - many blood pressure patients gain benefit from them and will continue to do so.
Beta-blockers have been downgraded to less suitable for initial therapy because the evidence shows that they are less effective than alternatives in preventing major events, especially stroke.
Some media coverage has said that beta blockers increase the risk of stroke. This is not true - they are just not as good as some other medication at reducing the risk.
Beta blockers are also associated with an increase in the risk of developing diabetes.
Some research is still needed to work out whether this new information applies to all beta blocker drugs (there are about twenty) or if it only applies to the specific drug called Atenolol -for which there is most evidence.
Watch this space for more information but - for goodness sake - don't make any changes to your own medication without first consulting with your doctor.
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
How does your doctor decide on your blood pressure treatment?
Choice and blood pressure medication
There are so many blood pressure medications available that it can be hard for blood pressure sufferers to understand why one drug is given to them instead of another.
What follows is often called the
"rule of thirds"Some 18 million people — a third of the UK’s adult population — have a blood pressure higher than their doctors would like. Two thirds of over-65s have a blood pressure high enough for doctors to think that it needs treatment.
When researchers checked people without any symptoms, they found that a third of those with high blood pressure — also known as hypertension — were not aware that they had it.
A third of those in whom high blood pressure has been diagnosed are still not being treated — and even if they are, the treatment is not always adequate. Some therefore remain at increased risk of a stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney disease. These patients are not being treated with the best available medication in the right doses.
Dr Thomas Stuttaford has written a good review of blood pressure treatment choices in the UK newspaper: The Times.
Read more here.
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
Work Stress Raises Blood Pressure
Stress at work is bad for your blood pressureSometimes things that we think we know intuitively still need analysed and researched before we can be sure of them.
Canadian researchers followed about 7000 office workers for more than seven years and found that those with high job demands, and low levels of support in the office, tended to have higher blood pressure than other workers.
The relationship between work stress and high blood pressure was stronger among men than among women.
The study found that men with high job strain had higher blood pressure and were at greater risk of blood pressure increases over time than those with less stressful work.
The research also found that men and women who said they got little support from their bosses and co-workers seemed particularly vulnerable to the blood pressure effects of job strain.
Read more about
job stress and high blood pressure here
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
When is high blood pressure not high blood pressure?
Prehypertension - what's your real risk?New medical evidence suggests that the damage caused by high blood pressure begins at a lower level than doctors thought.
Until recently, doctors treating high blood pressure limited their concern to blood pressure that exceeded a reading of 140 systolic (the upper number) and 90 diastolic (the lower number).
The condition has been labelled as prehypertension. (Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure).
Prehypertension is used to describe blood pressure readings between 120/80 and 139/89. At these levels the blood pressure is higher than normal but not within the traditional danger zone.
Patients with this kind of prehypertension seem to have a three-times greater risk of having a heart attack than people with normal blood pressure."
Other recent research shows that people with prehypertension are three times more likely to have a heart attack and 1.7 times more likely to develop heart disease. Around 59 million Americans are thought to have prehypertension.
Its not yet clear from research whether medication will help lower the risk for people with prehypertension. Lifestyle and diet changes may turn out to be more important
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
Diet change lowers blood pressure
Change your diet and Lower Your Blood PressureWhat you eat can help you to lower your blood pressure.
It’s not only cholesterol that is affected by what you eat - food choices affect blood pressure, too.
Here are good tips if you want to use your eating habits to help lower blood pressure.
Lose Weight
Consume fewer calories. Your blood pressure goes down by more than four points for every ten pounds of weight you lose. More weight loss results in even greater blood pressure benefits.
Cut down on your salt intakeIf you reduce your salt intake by about a teaspoon of salt (1.8 grams of sodium) per day then you can lower your blood pressure by about five points. But you should know that less salt doesn’t help everyone. Try it and see – if it doesn’t make a difference to you after a couple of months then its probably the case that your body handles sodium effectively.
Get more potassium – this can help lower your blood pressureThe best way to get more potassium is from food — mostly fruits and vegetables such as bananas, beans, beets, raisins, spinach and sweet potatoes
Drink less alcoholA little bit of alcohol seems to be good for the heart. A lot is bad for blood pressure, along with the liver, pancreas, nervous system, concentration and sleep.
Eat more fruits and vegetablesTwo major research studies showed that extra fruits and vegetables helped to lower blood pressure.
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
Lower blood pressure without drugs
A new version of the blood pressure treatment device – Resperate – has just been launched by the manufacturer
It’s called Resperate Duo and you can review it or order it online
Resperate can certainly be a useful addition to medication for obtaining better blood pressure control – and some users find that they no longer need tablets.
RESPeRATE Duo is available immediately online at:
http://www.resperate.com/product. The Duo model is available for the introductory price of $349 per unit (list price $379).
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
Blood Pressure Lowered by Regular Exercise
Lower your blood pressure - walk about a bit!A new study has shown that physical activity further reduces blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure, even when they're taking medications to address this problem. This has been shown by new research using a 24 hour blood pressure monitor device.Researchers from Italy studied the effects of a 6-week fast-walking program in 168 patients with high blood pressure. All of them were taking blood pressure medication at the time.
The fast-walking sessions, which took place three times a week were conducted under the guidance of an experienced physiotherapist
After the exercise program, the average systolic blood pressure (the upper number) fell from 143 to 135 mmHg and the diastolic pressure (the lower number) dropped from 91 to 84 mmHg.
No gender-based differences were found.
These results support exercise training as an important part of the treatment of individuals with mild elevations in blood pressure.
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
New Blood Pressure Guidelines
New UK Blood Pressure Guidelines PublishedThe last UK blood pressure guidelines were published in 2004.
NICE – the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has just produced a new guideline on blood pressure treatment for the UK.
The information in the original guideline covering other aspects of managing the condition, such as lifestyle interventions, is still current.
The key points from the updated guideline include the following:
• Blood pressure sufferers aged 55 and over, or Black patients of any age, should have a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic as first choice treatment. Black patients are those of African or Caribbean descent, and not mixed race, Asian or Chinese patients. The commonest calcium channel blocker drug is Istin or Amlodipine. The commonest thiazide diuretic drug is bendrofluazide.
• In blood pressure patients younger than 55, the first choice for treatment should be an ACE inhibitor. Common ACE inhibitor drugs include enalapril, lisinopril and perindopril.• If initial therapy was with a calcium channel blocker or thiazide-type diuretic and a second drug is required, then the doctor is advised to add an ACE inhibitor.If initial therapy was with an ACE inhibitor, add a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic.
• If treatment with three drugs is required, the combination of ACE inhibitor and a calcium channel blocker and a thiazide-type diuretic should be used.
Beta-blockers are no longer recommended for first line therapy as the evidence suggests that they perform less well than other drugs, particularly in the elderly, and there is increasing evidence that the most frequently used beta-blockers at usual doses carry an unacceptable risk of provoking type 2 diabetes.
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
Blood Pressure Treatment Options
Welcome to Dr Gordon Cameron's blood pressure treatment pages.
You can expect to read simple, down-to-earth and easy to read advice about all aspects of blood pressure treatment. We'll cover both high blood pressure and low blood pressure issues.
Check back often for information.
If you've found this article helpful then why not sign up for Doctor Cameron's blood pressure newsletter.
See the bottom of the page for details.
Dr Cameron Says:
As a family doctor and a blood pressure sufferer myself I know that people are often confused by medical terms and mumbo jumbo. You won't find that here - just simple, plain, high quality advice about high blood pressure and related issues.
I hope you find the articles helpful.
Drop by again, I add new content regularly
Oh, and if you'd like to receive a free, no obligation, regular update on all things blood pressure related then just leave me your details below.
Please do it - I'd love to keep you up to date with breaking news and the best treatments available.
