Lower Blood Pressure

Treat High Blood Pressure

By the nature of a large site like this I tend to find that the older articles get a bit lost over time.
So - if you're interested -here are a few of the highlights from previous months and years of writing about high blood pressure treatment.

Firstly, and this article about your blood pressure reading was one of the first I published on the subject, you might like to read about what those blood pressure numbers actually mean. Discover the difference between the upper and the lower numbers and learn why they're written the way they are.

Next, take a look at this piece about weight loss and blood pressure. Discover why weight loss can help with blood pressure treatment.

If you have very high blood pressure then you'll be interested in this article and lastly for now, check out this section about combined medication to treat high blood pressure

I'll write these review highlight sections from time to time so check back again or sign up for my regular newsletter.

Stay well.

Labels: blood-pressure-medicines, blood-pressure-treatment, diet-and-blood-pressure, high blood pressure, treatment

A vaccine against high blood pressure

Can a simple vaccine jab protect you from stroke and heart disease?

Researchers think they have developed a vaccine to control high blood pressure. The vaccine is derived from a protein found in limpets and the hope is that it would need a course of just three jabs, with a booster every six months.

The commonest way of treating blood pressure at the moment is with pills, but they can cause side-effects and some patients simply stop taking them.

Now Protherics - a British drug company - says its vaccine will make it much easier for people to control their blood pressure.

The jab, which has been successfully tested on people, uses the limpet protein to attack a hormone called angiotensin, which is produced by the liver. This is similar to the way that medicines like lisinopril, ramipril and perindopril work.

People who have tried the new vaccine have suffered few side-effects, although one in ten did complain of a brief, flu-like illness. Ideally, patients would be given an initial course of three injections, with a week or fortnight between each jab. A booster shot every six months, or even once a year, would keep blood pressure low.

It is not known how much the vaccines will cost but they are not expected to be much more expensive than current blood pressure tablets, some of which cost just a few pence a day.

In time, the vaccine may be given to ward off problems in young men and women with a family history of heart disease.

Some blood pressure tablets already available work by targeting angiotensin, either by cutting production of the hormone or by stopping it from working properly. But many people stop taking the daily tablets simply because there are no obvious signs that they are boosting their health.

Labels: blood-pressure-medicines, blood-pressure-treatment, high blood pressure, treatment, vaccine-for-blood-pressure

Salt and Blood Pressure in Children

High salt diets in children lead to raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke later in life.

A new large research study showed that for each extra gram of salt eaten there was a 0.4mmHg (millimeters of mercury) increase in systolic blood pressure. This means that ten extra grams of salt a day would increase the upper blood pressure number (called the systolic blood pressure) by 4 mmHg

This is an important finding which confirms that eating too much salt increases blood pressure in childhood.

The differences in systolic blood pressure between children with higher and lower salt diets may appear small, but making reductions of this order in childhood is likely to translate into lower levels of blood pressure in adult life, with reduced risk of developing heart disease and stroke and potentially huge gains in public health being possible

The advice to parents is to read the labels, especially in foods where you wouldn't expect a lot of salt, such as cereals. Try to avoid high blood pressure in children by reducing their salt intake.

The Food Standards Agency in the UK recommends that younger children receive less salt than older ones.

Children aged from 1 to 3-years-old should have a maximum of 2gm salt per day,
Children aged from 4 to 6-year-olds should have a maximum of 3gm,
Children from 7 to 10 year-olds should have a maximum of 5gm and for 11 and older it should be 6gm at the very most.

They also recommend that babies never be given extra salt on their food.

These figures are maximum daily recommendations, and parents should strive to have less than that, if possible.

What you do now in terms of your child's salt intake could shape their health record for the rest of their lives.

Labels: high blood pressure, salt and blood pressure, treatment

Blood Pressure Medicine - Norvasc Side Effects

Most people who take Norvasc for blood pressure treatment experience no side effects at all.

Norvasc is the world's most commonly prescribed blood pressure treatment.

It works by altering the way that blood vessel wall cells handle calcium and causes the blood vessels to relax. More relaxed blood vessels leads to lower blood pressure.

Norvasc is usually taken as either a 5mg tablet or a 10mg tablet. Side effects are more common with the 10mg tablet. If you think that Norvasc treatment is giving you side effects then you should consult with your doctor for advice.

Here are the commonest Norvasc Side Effects:
The rates are compared to those in research studies who took placebo drugs or "dummy tablets" with no norvasc in them

• Norvasc Swollen ankles - swollen ankles are five times more likely on those taking 5mg of Norvasc and nearly twenty times more likely on those taking Norvasc 10mg per day.
• Norvasc Dizziness - feeling dizzy is twice as likely if you are taking Norvasc 5mg but the incidence of dizziness does not increase if you are taking the 10mg tablets
• Norvasc Palpitations - palpititations are three times more likely if you are taking 5mg of Norvasc and nine times more likely if you are taking Norvasc 10mg
• Norvasc Flushing - flushed feelings or sweating is twice as common if you are taking Norvasc 5mg and three times more common if you are taking Norvasc 10mg.
• Norvasc Fatigue - fatigue is a very common reaction in those taking Norvasc and most studies suggest that it can affect up to one in ten of those who take the drug - even at the 5mg tablet dose

If you think you are experiencing these Norvasc Side Effects then please consult with your doctor

Labels: blood-pressure-medicines, blood-pressure-treatment, norvasc, treatment

I often wonder about the validity of some of the claims for alternative blood pressure treatments. I've experimented myself with salt restriction and even with adding flax seed oil to my diet - with good initial results - but, like all else in life, it can be hard to stick at it.

I read in a press cutting yesterday about the claims for cider vinegar and blood pressure reduction. The evidence does seem reasonably good so - here we go - I plan to give it a try.

I'll use my blood pressure monitor to keep tabs on things and feed back on how things develop.
Watch this space.

Labels: blood-pressure-monitor, blood-pressure-treatment, cider-vinegar, treatment

Bloodr is new online software for monitoring Blood Pressure, Pulse and Weight. Using a simple interface you can record and analyse your data.

Bloodr allows you to produce professional reports and charts to supply to your health care professional as and when needed. The great thing about bloodr is that unlike other monitoring software, you can access and add your details from any internet connected computer anywhere in the world.

If you already home monitor it can be easy to loose motivation to take and log regular readings, and those handwritten notes can easily go astray. Bloodr is simple to use and enables you to add a reading any time you need to, thus calculating daily averages and plotting charts for you.

Unlike spreadsheet software, Bloodr lets you print your data and charts with ease. Doctors appreciate the clarity of the information provided giving them an accurate visual representation of your blood pressure.

Bloodr also lets you record your weight, which can be extremely useful if your Doctor has advised to you to loose weight to help combat hypertension. Weight charts and reports are also available to view and print.

Bloodr is in its early stages of development and further functionality will be added regularly as required. The news section of the Bloodr site will keep you posted with site changes and bloodr also has a blog for relevant information/news articles. Sign up for bloodr here for free.

Labels: blood-pressure-software, treatment