Kidney Disease Eye Disease Nerve Disease Heart Disease High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol  Obesity

High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is usually one of the first signs that the cardiovascular system is lacking key nutrients and is under serious stress and deterioration. This is due to the heart’s extra force required to push the blood through the arteries eventually causing damage to the inner lining of the arteries. This, in turn, causes inflammation and leaves the arteries susceptible to the buildup of fatty plaque that can narrow or block the arteries and reduce blood flow to the body’s organs. When untreated, high blood pressure can lead to kidney damage, heart failure, stroke, and loss of vision from damage to the retina.

Unfortunately, high blood pressure is a “silent” symptom that goes undetected until another problem arises that triggers the need for a physical exam, e.g. blurry vision, constant headaches, heart arrhythmia, kidney problems. The key organs that are involved with high blood pressure include the heart, kidneys, arteries, and the neural and hormonal systems. The combination of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes is particularly stressful on the kidneys. 

High blood pressure is generally defined as a level exceeding 140/90 mm Hg on multiple occasions. The systolic blood pressure, which is the first number, represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and pumps blood throughout the circulatory system. The diastolic pressure, which is the second number, represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after the contraction.

An elevation of the systolic or diastolic blood pressure increases the risk of developing heart (cardiac) disease, kidney (renal) disease, hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), glaucoma (eye damage), and stroke (brain damage). Usually a high systolic number indicates problems with the cardiovascular system and the liver, while a high diastolic number indicates problems with the kidneys and the liver. These complications of high blood pressure are often referred to as end-organ damage because damage to these organs is the end result of chronic (long duration) high blood pressure. Accordingly, the diagnosis of high blood pressure in an individual is important so that efforts can be made to normalize the blood pressure and, thereby, prevent the complications.

For some people, high blood pressure may be defined at a level lower than 140/90 mm Hg. For example, in certain situations, such as in patients with long duration (chronic) kidney diseases that spill protein into the urine (proteinuria), the blood pressure is ideally kept at 125/75, or even lower. The purpose of reducing the blood pressure to this level in these patients is to slow the progression of kidney damage. Patients with diabetes may likewise benefit from blood pressure that is maintained at a level lower than 140/90. In addition, African-Americans, who have an increased risk for developing the complications of high blood pressure, may decrease this risk by reducing their diastolic blood pressure to 80 mm Hg or less.
Important: Not only can kidney disease cause high blood pressure, but high blood pressure can cause kidney disease. Therefore, all patients with high blood pressure should be evaluated for the presence of kidney disease so that they can be treated appropriately.

Diagnosis
The diagnosis of high blood pressure is more than reading the numbers off the monitor. It may take several months of doctor visits, monitoring and testing, including an electrocardiogram to prevent a false reading. The diagnosis starts with measuring your blood pressure using a mercury manometer and a properly fitted arm cuff, with your elbow at the same level as your heart, not below it. There is usually a small difference between the left and right side. Ideal systolic-diastolic pressure values are under 120/80. Values over 180/110 are a definite concern. If the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure exceeds 60, advanced atherosclerosis may be present. Values greater than 140/90 are a concern if you have other risk factors such as being overweight. You may require further testing, which may involve wearing a small automatic measuring device and recorder for 24 hours. To prevent a false diagnosis, have your blood pressure checked while sitting, standing and lying down – if readings skyrocket when you change position, this may indicate a problem with the adrenal glands. All this information is collected and analyzed by your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Primary Root Causes
In order to understand the best ways to treat high blood pressure (without drugs), it is very important to understand the primary root causes which cause the heart muscle to work harder to push the blood throughout the body. They include: an increase in the volume of blood and fluids, e.g. fluid retention due to cell dehydration; a decrease in the diameter of the artery walls; a decrease in the elasticity of the arteries; an increase in blood viscosity (thick blood); a clogged liver; a clogging of the smaller capillaries in the kidneys; reduced nitric oxide; a constriction of the arteries due to an increase in cortisol levels; a defective heart muscle or heart valve; and, poor filtering of the blood by the kidneys.

When the heart tries to “push” thick, sticky blood through the blood vessels, it’s similar to forcing ketchup out of a bottle. You have to pound the bottom of the bottle to provide enough force to get the ketchup out of the bottle. This is analogous to the pounding that the heart has to perform to generate enough force to push the thick blood throughout the body. And, this extra pounding can cause headaches and blurry vision while creating more pressure that causes injuries to the linings of the arterial walls. These wall injuries cause inflammatory and repair responses that lead to the production of various proteins and extra cholesterol to form plaque to repair the injured walls. The arterial walls become thickened (arteriosclerosis); and, if there is high homocysteine, this can lead to the formation of more plaque and blood clots (atherosclerosis).

As you can see, there are many causes of high blood pressure. In order to determine which ones are causing your high blood pressure, it is critical to have your doctor perform all the necessary blood tests and other diagnostic tests that may help to better diagnose the root cause(s) of your high blood pressure, including testing for inflammation markers such as homocysteine, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein(a), and fibrin.

When the circulatory system is working properly, it delivers water and blood throughout the body, providing nutrients to all the cells and tissues of the body. Specifically, the blood provides key nutrients to the millions of artery wall cells, which are responsible for the availability of “relaxing factors” that decrease vascular wall tension and keep the blood pressure in the normal range. These key nutrients include Omega-3 EFAs, CoQ10, water, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, magnesium, folate, and arginine. But, when there is a chronic deficiency of these nutrients, blood viscosity can increase, the artery walls can become damaged leading to plaque formation, or the artery walls can spasm and become thickened, leading to an increase in blood pressure.

Consequently, a consistent exercise regimen, stress reduction, and a nutritional program that addresses specific nutrient deficiencies can be beneficial in preventing high blood pressure. Refer to the wellness protocol section in Chapter 15for more details.

Prescription Drugs -- The Answer?
Prescription drugs help to lower your blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol -- but, are they really the answer to you improving your health? Go to the following web pages for more information about the danger of prescription drugs:

• Drugs for high blood pressure
• Drugs for high cholesterol
• Drugs for high blood sugar (diabetes)
• Drug companies
• Drugs (general information)