High blood pressure can be life threatening.
WikimediaImages / Pixabay  – High blood pressure can be life threatening

How often do you check your blood pressure? Do you still believe the old standard of any blood pressure reading under 139/89 mm/Hg is nothing to worry about? You could be dead wrong.

Over the decades, we continue to hone the right values for different markers of health. The old standard for fasting glucose was 139 mg/dL. Today, a fasting glucose of 126 mg/dL is indicative of type II diabetes. The current health standard for fasting glucose is anything below 100 mg/dL is safe. Yet, some doctors fear that a fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL is prediabetic and should be treated accordingly.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is similar. The old standard was 139/89 mm/Hg. Today, 120/80 mm/Hg is defined as good health. Yet, the newest optimum hypertension standard should be 115/75 mm/Hg. One might think a crazy millimeter or two is nothing. It is, and should be considered as a marker for future health concerns.

When your systolic blood pressure consistency runs above 120 mm/Hg and 139 mm/Hg, you have a 55% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, 50% increased risk of coronary heart disease and 71% increased risk of stroke.

Every year for over 30 years I had a Navy flight physical. I was an aviator and it was required. I noticed that my blood pressure would peak when I didn’t exercise; or, when I put on a bit too much weight. I could correct either problem and my blood pressure was considered normal back then.

Some people can control blood pressure with diet and exercise. Others cannot. High blood pressure has lots of causes. You can treat a couple (like weight and lack of exercise) and it might work. If you don’t know the cause, then there will be no correction.

Prescription drugs treat hypertension. They attack a specific cause. I know people who have had to change their blood pressure medicines over time because a new cause popped up and the old prescription medicine was no longer of value.

There are some natural options, besides weight control and exercise. Quercetin, myricitrin, myricetin act like block angiotensin-blocking drugs. Stevioside blocks calcium channels similar to calcium channel-blocking drugs. Melatonin is effective for nocturnal control during sleep.

Talk to your physician if you are on prescription meds for hypertension and ask if you can trade off your prescription med for a natural option for a couple of months to see if it might be effective. If you don’t have your blood pressure checked often, consider buying the equipment and using it. It might save your life. However, if you think there is nothing to worry about – you could be dead wrong.

5 Responses

  1. I work in the healthcare info industry. I have to say I am sceptical of some of this research as each change lower increases the potential for increased drug sales. I probably trust the recent change in blood pressure because a) it’s been so long since it’s been adjusted and b) this market is mostly generic and relatively inexpensive. Cholesterol and sugar change every year it seems, or at least, every time they need a fresh batch of consumers

    1. Very well stated. I believe that cholesterol lowering drugs are not needed for over 90% of the people on them. It seems to be an industry created by the drugs companies to increase profits. Just my opinion. It appears to be at best 50% effective. And, the side effects generate the need for other drugs.

  2. Enjoyed this Red. I have hypertension and take meds. Even though I’ve lost weight I am still on medication. I hope as I continue to lose weight that maybe I can go down in my meds, but if I have to take them, I will. My mom was only 44 when she died of a massive stroke. She had stopped taking her meds. She said they made her too sleepy. She left five of us behind and it was really difficult.

    1. Sorry to hear about your mother. We try to do what we have to do to enjoy life and take care of those we need to. Sometimes the side-effects of a prescription med overpower our lives. Thanks so very much for responding.

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