High Blood Pressure – The Reason

By Dr. Jorge Luis Lopez Zumaeta

(Naturopathic Biochemist – Specialist in Scientific Natural Medicine)

Hypertension affects one billion people worldwide. It is a non-contagious, fatal disease that causes the death of 9 million people annually, if not incapacitation.

Diagnosing high blood pressure is not complicated. However, more than 50% of those affected are unaware of it and only a small percentage receive adequate treatment.

1.- What is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force exerted against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood to your body. Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure.

It is characterized by patients presenting with a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, as well as diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher.

2.- What are the symptoms?

Regular blood pressure checks are vital as there will usually be no symptoms to warn you of the disease. In fact, this disease is known as “the silent killer”.

High blood pressure is known to cause sweating, anxiety, sleep problems and flushing. However, in most cases, no symptoms will appear.

3.- What is the Classification of High Blood Pressure?

There are different classifications of high blood pressure as well as the risk of developing it. Generally, high blood pressure is classified as follows:

Group A. Patients with high normal blood pressure levels, without presenting damage to the target organ. These are candidates for one-year follow-up, during which, firstly, the patient will be instructed to make the necessary changes in his/her lifestyle, to ensure a healthy lifestyle, and, secondly, blood pressure levels will be monitored throughout this period.
Group B. Patients who do not have damage to the target organ but have one or more cardiovascular risk factors. Most of those affected are in this group. The doctor will prescribe a pharmacological treatment for this group.
Group C. Patients with damage to the target organ. These patients have normal to high blood pressure, but with more than 3 risk factors for kidney disease, diabetes or heart failure. Medical treatment is also indicated, as well as changes in lifestyle, if necessary.

4.- Why is it a risk factor?

Hypertension means that the heart has to work harder, and it responds by increasing its muscle mass (left ventricular hypertrophy) to cope with this extra effort. This increase in muscle mass ends up being harmful because it is not accompanied by an equivalent increase in blood flow and can cause coronary insufficiency and angina pectoris. In addition, the heart muscle becomes more irritable and more arrhythmias occur.
In patients who have already had a cardiovascular problem, hypertension can intensify the damage.
It causes arteriosclerosis (cholesterol build-up in the arteries) and thrombosis (which can cause myocardial infarction or stroke). In the worst cases, high blood pressure can soften the walls of the aorta and cause it to dilate (aneurysm) or rupture (which inevitably causes death).

5.- How does blood pressure affect the brain?

When arteries become stiff and narrow, blood flow becomes insufficient and leads to strokes (ischemic stroke). High blood pressure can also cause an artery to rupture and cause bleeding in the brain (stroke or hemorrhagic stroke).

6.- How does blood pressure affect the kidneys?

Hypertension causes stiffness in the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys. But it also damages the kidney itself, which can lead to kidney failure that may even require dialysis. On the other hand, if the kidney is damaged, blood pressure can rise.

7.- What is the relationship between diabetes and hypertension?

Diabetes or prediabetes (insulin resistance syndrome) have other associated disorders, such as the frequent appearance of alterations in cholesterol, triglycerides, elevated uric acid, all of which are risk factors for hypertensive disease.

8.- How does blood pressure affect other organs?

If it affects the arteries in the legs, it causes pain when walking.
If it damages the retinal arteries, it causes vision disturbances.
In men it can cause impotence.
9.- High blood pressure also affects children and adolescents: why does it appear?

Hypertension is a growing problem among children and adolescents. In recent years, the risk of high blood pressure among these groups has increased by almost 30%. An increasing number of young people are suffering from high blood pressure, with the associated dangers.

The main causes of this increase are overweight and high salt intake.

In recent years, the incidence of strokes in childhood and adolescence has increased in Peru.

10.- Why does salt increase blood pressure?

Excessive salt consumption interferes with a natural safety mechanism in the brain that prevents blood pressure from rising, i.e. it deregulates a circuit in the hypothalamus and causes an excessive amount of an antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin) to be released, resulting in increased blood pressure or hypertension.

One teaspoon of salt represents approximately 2,300 mg of sodium. The body only needs 200 mg of sodium per day. The average person in the world consumes approximately 3,000 to 3,600 mg of sodium per day.

Under normal conditions, when blood pressure rises, a nerve ending located in the aorta artery, called baroreceptors, send signals to the neurons that produce vasopressin to stop releasing it. However, a high intake of salt impairs this brain safety mechanism that regulates and prevents an increase in pressure.

11.- To what extent does hypertension affect women who are having their first pregnancy?

The problem of a hypertensive woman who becomes pregnant is different from that of a normotensive woman. In the former case, high blood pressure usually occurs from the first trimester.

High blood pressure during pregnancy usually appears later, from the third month onwards, and is generally caused by excessive water and salt retention. However, there are a small number of pregnant women whose blood pressure rises suddenly before giving birth (preeclampsia or eclampsia). This can lead to complications, which is why a caesarean section is usually indicated.

12.- What is the treatment to combat the disease once it is established?

Changing your lifestyle is very important in controlling high blood pressure. Your doctor may recommend the following lifestyle changes:

Eating a heart-healthy low-salt diet
Perform regular physical activity
Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you are overweight or obese
Limit the amount of alcohol you consume
However, sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough. In addition to diet and exercise, your doctor may recommend medications to lower your blood pressure.

The target value for blood pressure treatment depends on your health status.

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Foods that help control hypertension

In general, all fruits and vegetables help control blood pressure because they are rich in fiber and potassium, but the following foods are especially useful in this regard because they have special properties that protect your arteries.

1.- Cucumber

A large cucumber has 442 mg of potassium, a mineral that is very necessary for controlling blood pressure.

When the presence of this mineral in the diet is low, the body, in order to balance itself, begins to retain sodium, which is as if you were following a diet high in salt.

2.- Kefir

Recent research has shown that drinking kefir regularly can be beneficial in combating high blood pressure.

Kefir is considered a probiotic, like yogurt, as it provides beneficial live microorganisms to the intestinal flora.

It is known that an imbalance of bacteria in the microbiota increases the risk of suffering from hypertension.

3.- She

Garlic can significantly reduce systolic (high) blood pressure.

In addition to including it in your diet, supplements based on this food can be helpful if you suffer from hypertension.

4.- Banana

This tropical fruit, so common in our diet, is super rich in potassium. A banana provides 12% of the potassium you need daily. It also provides calcium and magnesium.

A good idea is to have it as a snack between meals.

5.- Blueberries

Eating one serving a week reduces the risk of hypertension by 10%.

This action is due to the anthocyanins it contains, a type of flavonoid with cardioprotective properties.

6.- Aromatic herbs

Apart from the antioxidants they contain that act as a protective barrier against free radicals, herbs are good for you because:

They are a perfect substitute for salt as they add flavor to foods so you can enjoy them without adding sodium.

7.- Kiwi

Three kiwis a day help reduce hypertension, according to the American Heart Association.

The reason is multiple: it is a diuretic, rich in fiber and provides antioxidants such as lutein that take care of your arteries.

Good habits move mountains

Diet, along with exercise, should be the main pillars for controlling blood pressure. In fact, there are studies that show that following a balanced diet and doing physical activity can prevent the need to take drugs.

DRINKS FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Drinks on an empty stomach

The following natural drinks can help lower high blood pressure and nourish the body. Most of them are made from ingredients that are easy to find (both in our kitchen and in the supermarket) and, on the other hand, they are easy to make.

Lemon juice diluted in plenty of water is one of the most popular remedies for combating hypertension, but it can be prepared in another way for a change. Cut a lemon into slices, without removing the peel or seeds, add a handful of fresh parsley and blend until smooth.
Place a small chopped onion, seven cloves of garlic and the juice of a lemon in a bowl. Add water until all the ingredients are covered and let it sit overnight. In the morning, strain and drink on an empty stomach for nine days in a row.
Eggplant water is another drink that, if taken regularly on an empty stomach, can help treat hypertension. To prepare it, cut an unpeeled eggplant, place it in a blender with a glass of water and blend until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. You can strain it and drink it on an empty stomach for up to 10 consecutive days.
Hawthorn tea is also very beneficial for cases of hypertension. It is recommended to drink a maximum of 2 cups a day. You can combine this tea with a spoonful of linden, horsetail, birch and fennel.
Another natural remedy that is very easy to prepare is the following: boil two soursop leaves and two orange leaves in half a liter of water for ten minutes. Then remove from heat and allow to cool. Drink this tea after straining it, up to 2 cups daily.
Other drinks

Celery is an excellent ally against hypertension since it has diuretic properties that promote urination.
Fruits with a high water content are also highly recommended, both in smoothies and juices, as long as they are prepared with very little added sugar (or better yet, none at all). Likewise, a smoothie containing water-rich vegetables, such as cucumber, can be beneficial in everyday life.
Green smoothies with spinach are also an excellent option in case of high blood pressure. In particular, it is recommended to drink, every 3 days, a spinach smoothie, a spoonful of honey, a little lemon juice and a glass of water.
As long as you drink them in small amounts, beverages such as green tea and white tea can help promote urination and thereby lower high blood pressure.
Another very beneficial natural drink for hypertension is the following: boil a liter of water with a handful of olive leaves, strain, store in a glass container and drink 2 glasses a day.
Popular high blood pressure drugs recalled

Traces of a chemical that can cause cancer were found.

The list of high blood pressure drugs that have been pulled from the market continues to grow, with new variants of popular medicines such as losartan and irbesartan now appearing.

Since the summer of 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published on its website the various blood pressure medications that should be withdrawn from public sale. These drugs tested positive for the presence of carcinogenic or cancer-causing elements, potentially capable of causing cancer when exposed to living tissue.

According to information released by the FDA, the drugs contained unacceptable levels of a known or identified carcinogen called N-Nitrosodiethylamine or NDEA.

So far in January 2019, two companies have announced recalls of blood pressure products. The first was Prinston Pharmaceutical (in English) which warned about the risk of the chemical compound in the following versions of irbesartan:

Irbesartan Tablets – 300MG – bottles of 90 units with expiration date February 2021.
Irbesartan/HCTZ – 300MG/12.5MG – 150MG/12.5MG – bottles of 30, 90 units with expiration date between February and March 2021.
The second announcement came from Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited (in English), on January 22, which alerted the detection of traces of NDEA in the following versions of losartan:

Losartan Potassium TAB, USP 100, 50, and 25 milligrams in bottles of 30, 90, and 1000 units with expiration dates between April and May 2021.
Losartan Potassium-Hydrocholorothiazide Tablets, USP 100 mg/12.5 mg and 50 mg/12.5 mg in bottles of 1000 and 90 units with expiration dates between March 2019 and March 2020.
Different batches and dosages of these versions were dispensed nationwide to different distributors and retail customers.

Irbesarten and losartan are part of a group of medicines known as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Angiotensin works by attaching to specific receptors on the cells in the walls of your arteries, so if you use a medicine that blocks these receptors, angiotensin will not be able to act, and therefore, your blood pressure will not rise.

To date, Torrent and Prinston Pharmaceutical have not received any reports of adverse events related to the use of these medicines. Patients are advised to consult their physicians before discontinuing treatment on their own. The health risks may be greater if these drugs are stopped immediately without alternative treatment.

7 common medications for hypertensive patients and their side effects

The most common medications and their side effects

As for medications, they belong to several families, each with a different mechanism of action and side effects. Below we will briefly describe how they work and the side effects of the main groups of medications used to control high blood pressure.

1. Diuretics. These are drugs that work on the kidneys, increasing the elimination of water from the body; by decreasing the volume of fluid in the blood, blood pressure decreases proportionally. These drugs are generally used in combination with other types of drugs and belong to several families with different effects on the body.

Side effects: In general, and this explains most of their side effects, diuretics not only promote the elimination of water but also of various elements such as sodium and potassium, important in maintaining muscle and nerve functions. That is why muscle cramps and disorders of the heart’s electrical activity are common side effects among those who take them.

2. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Angiotensin is a substance that narrows the arteries, which causes blood pressure to rise. Angiotensin is produced by a substance called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), so a drug that inhibits this enzyme will cause less angiotensin to be produced and the arteries to dilate, thereby lowering blood pressure. Some of these drugs include lisinopril, captopril, enalapril, benazepril, fosinopril, moexipril, perindopril, quinapril, ramipril, and trandolapril.

Side effects: The most common are loss of taste and a bothersome dry cough.

3. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Angiotensin works by attaching to specific receptors on the cells in the walls of the arteries. If a drug is used that blocks these receptors, angiotensin will not be able to act, thus preventing blood pressure from rising. Some of these drugs include losartin, valsartan, irbesarten, candesartan, eprosartan and telmisartan.

Side effects: The main side effect is persistent dizziness. As with the previous medications, they should not be used during pregnancy because they are very toxic to the fetus.

4. Beta blockers. These drugs act on the heart and cause it to contract with less force and less frequency, thereby lowering blood pressure. Two popular beta blockers are metoprolol and atenolol.

Side effects: Insomnia, cold hands and feet, depression, tiredness, slow heartbeat (bradycardia), asthma symptoms and erectile dysfunction.

5. Calcium channel blockers. Calcium from the blood is required to enter the cells in order for the muscles of the heart and arteries to contract. If this calcium is prevented from entering the cell, the muscle relaxes and blood pressure decreases. Some medications in this group include amlodipine, bepridil, diltiazem, felodipine, isradipine, nicardipine, nifedipine, nisolpidine, and verapamil.

Side effects: The most common include palpitations, constipation, swelling (inflammation) of the ankles, headaches, and dizziness.

6. Alpha blockers. These drugs relax the muscle in your arteries, thereby lowering blood pressure. Examples include doxazosin, prazosin, and terazosin.

Side effects: The most common are very fast heartbeats (tachycardia), dizziness and a drop in blood pressure when standing up suddenly (orthostatic hypotension), which in turn causes dizziness and instability when standing.

7. Vasodilators. These medications lower blood pressure by directly relaxing the muscles in the body’s smallest arteries (arterioles) and are generally used in cases that are resistant to other medications. Examples include hydralazine and minoxidil.

Side effects: May cause headache, fluid retention and palpitations.

It is important to remember that medication treatment is only one of three elements of a successful high blood pressure control program. The other two are nutritional counseling to initiate and maintain a healthy diet and the development of a lifelong program of daily physical activity.