Does High Blood Pressure Trouble You?

One of the most common health problems people face is high blood pressure, and it's very possible that you are at risk for it. There are all sorts of daily habits which you might not even know about yet that can cause your BP to increase. Being overweight is one of the main reasons why folks get blood pressure that is elevated. You need to check it on a regular basis and if it is over 120/80, you need to start taking steps to lower your blood pressure.

You're going to be well served by changing your eating habits so that you'll eat good foods and then start an exercise program. Your BP levels could return to normal if you could lose some weight - as little as ten pounds. Even if your diet is fairly good, not ever being physically active may cause you to put on weight and will raise your blood pressure. You must add some physical activity to your life if you see that it is starting to go further up. Even a routine that's just 30 minutes a day will do your body wonders and lower your blood pressure. However, before you start an exercise program make sure you check with your doctor. Especially if you have been inactive for a long time.

If you have any concerns concerning your health, you must eat healthier foods. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often linked to the kinds of food you eat. To bring down BP, you must add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, along with eating less salt or sodium. Probably the easiest way to bring down BP is to lose some weight. You may be saying that you would love to lose some weight, but you don't know how, and it can be expensive. An effective weight loss program is actually less expensive than what you spend now, and doesn't take much time or effort to use.

One other way to raise your chance of hypertension is to use tobacco products, so if you do that now, quit as soon as you possibly can. When people start smoking they are not typically concerned with whether or not it can cause hypertension or even if they should see how their BP numbers are doing every now and then. The bad news is that hypertension can be brought on by all sorts of poor lifestyle choices.

One more factor that may be the biggest contributor to high BP is stress. Everybody has pressures that they have to cope with and these pressures generally cause stress, which everybody deals with in a different way. People drink, smoke, binge or any number of things to counteract the stress that's been affecting them. This could feel good temporarily, but in the long haul it results in high blood pressure. If you are younger, it is likely you feel that there isn't anything that can impact your health and that you have lots of time to get on track but eventually you will wish that you had done things differently. When illnesses hit you that are directly associated with the hypertension you got from your lifestyle choices, you'll regret them.

There are several things you can do to lower your blood pressure. You could start by studying the seniors you know and compare their health with the lifestyles they've led. Look for individuals whose health you want for yourself and ask what they did to achieve that health. It's crucial, though, that you find somebody who does not need to depend on drugs to keep their BP in check. Lose some weight with an effective weight loss program. Quit smoking. How much money could you save if you didn't have to pay for cigarettes?

Are you wondering if you lose some weight to help with your blood pressure? You're not alone. Weight loss in one of the easiest and most effective things you can do.What do you want from a weight loss program? How about one that has been working for nearly 30 years and has a Nobel Prize winner on its medical staff?

Don't give up. It is possible to lower your blood pressure and have lasting and effective weight loss.

Original article

Risks For Heart Disease Indicated By Blood Pressure At Midlife

Another reason to know your blood pressure numbers. A new study finds that the ups and downs of blood pressure at midlife have a significant association with risks for heart disease later on.

This comes from an investigation of data from 7 different studies that included over 61,000 subjects - one of the largest research projects that's ever been done on how alterations in blood pressure at midlife impact on the lifetime chance of stroke or heart disease.

The research team used the data to estimate the lifetime risk for both heart attack, stroke as well as other known heart events for both Caucasian and African American adult subjects.

Starting with the initial reading at 41 years old, researchers tracked alterations in blood pressure until the subjects were 55 years of age, then kept following participants until a heart attack or stroke or another similar medical event happened, they died or reached the age of 95.

When subjects were in their mid 50s, 25% of men, and 50% of women continued to have normal readings, about half the participants had readings that were above the normal range but not high enough to fall into the hypertension category. Interesting that women had bigger rises in blood pressure readings at mid life than men, African Americans had an increased risk over their lifetime for suffering from hypertension, heart attack or stroke than whites did.

The study confirmed that those with a normal reading at 55 have a relatively low risk of heart disease or stroke during their lives. But, those who already had hypertension at this age also carried an increased lifetime risk of some form of heart disease problem - anywhere from 42% to 69%.

Anyone who keeps their blood pressure number in the lower range, less than 120/80 has the lowest risk of heart disease and stroke; those who were above 140/90 have the highest risk. The longer you can keep your blood pressure within normal ranges, the better off you will be.

Based on the analysis, the team of researchers predicts that

- More than two of three men who had hypertension at middle age will go on to experience a heart attack, stroke or another such even by the age of 85.

- 50% of women who suffer with hypertension by the early 40s will have heart disease, or increased risk of stroke later on in life.

The research findings point out how important it is to maintain normal blood pressure during mid life, and even earlier.

Over 74 million U.S. adults suffer from hypertension, a condition where the top number (systolic or when the heart beats) exceeds 140 mmHg, the bottom number (diastolic or when the heart rests) is at 90 mmHg or higher. The American Heart Association recommends that adults start having blood pressure screenings at age 20 as part of your regular healthcare visit every two years, so long as your blood pressure is under 120/80.

Remember hypertension has no symptoms, you could have it for years and not know it, though all that time it will be damaging your heart and blood vessels as well as your kidneys and other parts of your body... silently, steadily. Your best bet, if you don't know your blood pressure numbers, is to find out so as to manage your risks for heart disease in the future.

FREE Bonus Secret Health Reports - For a limited time you can grab 5 FREE essential health reports from the Daily Health Bulletin. Click through now to discover more on the various risks for heart disease and steps you can take to mitigate your risk.

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CoQ10 and Blood Pressure: What You Need to Know

A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association shows people who lower their high blood pressure can live longer lives. You probably know the dangers if left unchecked. It can lead to heart attacks, stroke and kidney failure.

You may have heard of the benefits of CoQ10 and blood pressure. Multiple studies show this supplement may lower your blood pressure.

What is High Blood Pressure?

The American Heart Association defines high blood pressure as 140 over 90 or higher. If this is you, your doctor has probably described many lifestyle changes such as getting more exercise and cutting out drinking.

And while there's no doubt a healthy lifestyle is good for you it may not be enough to protect your heart on its own. This is where CoQ10 comes in.

What is CoQ10?

CoQ10 - also called Coenzyme Q10 - is a vitamin-like substance that gives your cells energy. Without it, your cells can't function.

As you age, your body stops making as much CoQ10 and you may find you're deficient.

Studies show as many as 39% of people with heart problems don't have enough of this nutrient. To make matters worse, many of the popular statin drugs like Lipitor further reduce your levels of CoQ10.

How Does It Work?

Your heart requires energy to pump the blood through your arteries. In a healthy heart, CoQ10 provides the right amount of energy.

A study in the journal "Pharmacology and Therapeutics" says CoQ10 can lower the viscosity of the blood. This means the blood flows more easily which lowers your blood pressure. It also appears to widen the blood vessels so your blood can flow more smoothly.

According to the Mayo Clinic, studies show it takes 4-12 weeks before you'll see positive results from taking a supplement like COQ10. However, at least one heart patient discovered success in just a month despite years of taking prescription medications.

Can You Get It From Food?

Organ meat and oily fish like herring and salmon can provide you with some of the CoQ10 you need but it isn't enough to meet the needs of most people over 40. You'll probably still need to get more from a supplement.

One way you can enjoy the COQ10 and blood pressure benefits is by combining this necessary nutrient with the essential fatty acids of omega 3. This powerful combination can protect your heart in dozens of ways.

Your goal? To lower your blood pressure safely and naturally, to learn more how CoQ10 can help you meet your health goals, visit my website below.

Jen P. April is a passionate advocate of health and nutrition. To learn more about effective supplements she recommends after extensive research, visit http://vitamin-and-minerals.com/

Original article

Lower Blood Pressure The Natural Way

I want to send a message to those who suffer with hypertension. In most cases we get to this point by our own carelessness, sometimes when we are young adults, and even because of many things that we abuse over the years which we later pay the consequences for.

Often, people consume in excessive amounts, tobacco, which is highly responsible for high blood pressure; coffee, which can raise blood pressure if drank in large quantities due to its stimulant effects; diets high in sodium, and the abuse of alkaloids and chemical drugs. However, the primary cause of hypertension, and the most common of all is an out of control diet that leads to obesity. In most cases, this problem can be avoided.

We must not forget that high blood pressure is known as the "silent killer". Here are some ways to lower blood pressure naturally:

• Maintain a healthy diet and lose the excess weight

• Drink appropriate amounts of water

• Consume fatty acids

• Take diuretic herbs or supplements

• Perform aerobic exercises

• Consume Cardiotonic herbs

The diet should be based on nutrition rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins, complex carbohydrates, moderate in protein and unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and low in saturated fats (animal) and simple carbohydrates (flour, sugar, etc.).

Here are the proper amounts:

From 30% to 50% of grains (whole grains, sprouted grains)

20% to 25% of vegetables (green, Starch or no starch), and seaweeds.

10% to 15% of legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.).

5% to 10% of fruits.

From 0% to 5% of animal products (eggs, dairy, red meat, chicken, etc.)

Drink 5 to 6 bottles of water a day

Consume omega 3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA which are abundant in fish. EPA is very important for the circulatory system, and lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. DHA is helpful for healthy circulation in the brain, and is also found in the retina of the eye.

Other important fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid is found mainly in flax seeds and oleanolic acid which is found in evening primrose oil. The good thing about these omega sources is that they are less contaminated. In conventional medicine, high blood pressure is treated with beta-blockers or diuretic drugs. Therefore, we can take natural diuretic herbs or supplements such as dandelion, horsetail, corn silk, uva ursi, etc.

I also want to mention that there is a homeopathic product highly recommended to lower blood pressure, belladonna, which must be taken in a 30C dilution.

I hope these tips serve those who suffer from hypertension and will help you improve your health.

Original article

Physical Activity Helps to Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is perhaps, one of the most common health conditions. This condition is the result of the blood putting too much force or pressure on the walls of arteries. Prolonged hypertension, if left unregulated, could lead to such serious medical conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack or even stroke. Also, this condition can be aggravated by complacency and laziness. That's why I think it is imperative that you try to participate in some form of physical activity daily, which can have a direct positive impact on your situation.

Of course, you may be wondering what type of physical activity can actually help to lower your blood pressure. When you exercise, or specifically, when you get cardio workouts, you will be strengthening your heart, the stronger your heart is, the less it has to work at pumping blood throughout the body. Since the main problem of high blood pressure is the heart overworking and putting too much force out, these cardiovascular strengthening exercises can make the heart more efficient so that it does not have to use so much force.

Indeed, to make the most of the physical activity and get the very best workout possible, you need to know what type of activity will be the most efficient. In order to strengthen your heart, you need to take part in activities that will get it working more, such as high intensity cardio workouts. Doctors recommend that you get about thirty minutes of exercise each day or at least for five hours a week. You do not have to get all thirty minutes of activity in one session. By breaking the exercise up into ten-minute sessions you can spread your workout evenly throughout the day.

Additionally, when you continue to take part in any physical activity, you will find that you are more easily able to maintain a healthy weight. Weight problems can also lead to high blood pressure since excess weight puts additional strain on the heart. By getting enough regular physical activity and losing weight, you can attack the hypertension on two different fronts.

Furthermore, some activities that have proven to be extremely efficient, such as weight training, tai chi, yoga, swimming, and bicycling. While these are all exercises that you will need to plan in your weekly schedule, there are also changes that you can make in your daily life, which will allow you to get more physical activity. This can include bypassing the elevator for the stairs or choosing to park farther away in the parking lot. Essentially, any activity that you choose to add in your daily life will actually lend a hand toward lowering your blood pressure.

Chances are that you may have to deal with hypertension at some point in your life. While there is a close relationship between levels of physical activity and lowering your blood pressure it really comes down to living a healthier life. Unchecked hypertension can lead to many health problems, some of which are fatal. Therefore, it is crucial that you take the time to keep your blood pressure within healthy limits and always check with your physician before beginning a new exercise program.

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Why Home Blood Pressure Monitors Are So Important

Diabetes includes a quickly increasing disease that has a close relationship with vision loss. Almost 1/3 of the seventeen million Americans who have diabetes are impaired visually, therefore it seems natural that these devices which are utilized to manage diabetes ought to be accessible. It isn't always the case. One article submitted in September of 2002 assessed blood glucose meters and a March 2004 article assessed insulin pumps, and discovered both product classifications were seriously lacking in usability and accessibility for those who were impaired visually. This article assesses home blood pressure (BP) monitors, that are additionally crucial medical devices used within the management of this condition.

Why Are Home Blood Pressure Monitors Important?

Endocrinologists, doctors who specialize within the hormones and glands of your body and associated disorders, involving diabetes, disclosed that in managing diabetes, sustaining correct blood pressure is as critical as sustaining correct blood glucose levels. Reports have proven that individuals who have this condition are more likely to have high BP and over half of those who have diabetes really do have hypertension.

An individual who has diabetes will be more likely to develop arteries that are clogged and has 2 to 4 times the threat of stroke and heart disease. As a matter of fact, over 3/4 of those who have diabetes ultimately die of a stroke or heart attack. But, tight control of the blood pressure could decrease these threats and decrease the threat of additional complications of diabetes, involving the deterioration of your vision from macroaneurysms, hypertensive retinopathy, vitreous hemorrhages, and optic neuropathy. In addition to health issues associated with diabetes, hypertension itself reached crisis proportions within America. Almost sixty million Americans, one in four adults, have hypertension.

Self-observing your blood pressure using a BP monitor is a vital measure in sustaining healthful BP. With improved knowledge of pressure readings over a period of time, your doctor and you could better manage the condition with correct exercise and medication. Constant self-monitoring provides you a lot more data to work with than an occasional check you'll obtain while visiting the doctor, and it'll avoid what researchers refer to as white coat syndrome.

Reports have proven that white coat syndrome-a tendency to display higher BP within the presence of a doctor-could cause the misdiagnosis of individuals who suffer with this phenomenon. Plus, most individuals who have heart disease and diabetes have a condition referred to as silent ischemia, that masks chest pains and additional symptoms normally related to the inadequate flow of oxygen to your heart.

What Is a Home Blood Pressure Monitor, and how's it utilized?

Many individuals are familiar with a manual BP tool, or mercury sphygmomanometer, utilized by providers to measure your BP in doctor's offices. The sphygmomanometer includes the more accurate device for measuring your BP, and it's actually utilized to decide the accuracy of home blood pressure monitors. As with sphygmomanometers, one kind of home blood pressure monitor is put over your upper arm, yet other kinds of a blood pressure monitor will come in finger and wrist units.

Ultimately great products and service comes down to the experience and knowledge of the business operators. Blood Monitors Australia specialize in selling the best blood pressure monitor in Australia. A blood pressure monitor can be found online at the website.

Original article

Why High Blood Pressure Can Kill You Slowly and How to Treat It Naturally

According to a book by Doctor Cleaves M. Bennet (M.D.) a 45 year-old man with mild hypertension, if untreated, has a 50% chance of death by stroke or heart attack by the age of 65. In other words, Hypertension, or high blood pressure, as many seem to call it, is a serious matter for anyone diagnosed with it.

Blood Pressure can be thought of as: how strong the blood in your arteries is pumped by the heart. Certain things like bad diet habits can increase the pressure so much, that the arteries get damaged, and this increases the likely hood of arteries getting clogged or malfunctioning in another way that may end up killing you.

Here are the numbers: blood pressure is measured using 2 main numbers. The first is called systolic and the other is diastolic. Basically, it's a ratio of these two measurements and can be displayed as 120 (diastolic) / 80 (systolic) in healthy people. These numbers are seen in the machine that the doctor always wraps around your arm. One may assume that the machine squeezes your arm in an attempt to get an accurate measurement of the pressure of the arteries inside.

High blood pressure occurs when your numbers rise to 140/ 90 or a lot more for severe hypertension. The consequences of high blood pressure can result in heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, erectile dysfunction, and eye damage. Basically, you can end up with damaged arteries in any part of your body so it's best to treat it. Hypertension can be managed partially through a low Sodium diet.

So what are some of the worst foods that you should avoid? Salt will prove to be your worst enemy if you have high blood pressure. Salt is a toxic substance in general, and can only be absorbed by your body by using the water in your body for dilution first. Also, salt causes your body to retain water because it needs it to dilute the salt. This in turn, causes a person to go up in weight from carrying excess fluid that would normally be discarded. On top of that, your blood pressure goes up because your overall blood volume increases from its normal amount. This extra weight can weaken your arteries with every heart beat and can destroy you slowly from the inside if an unhealthy diet persists.

There is no need to eat foods with added Sodium because the human body requires such a low amount that the amount we require can easily be found in natural foods. Even athletes can re-hydrate with simply water and do not need products with Sodium. The bad news is that many foods contain added Sodium. Foods like frozen dinners, cookies, chips, pretzels, and any other processed food usually contains added sodium because the substance helps preserve the food items. So it is added to foods to preserve them, not because it is good for your body so you should approach with caution.

If you suffer from high blood pressure do check with your doctor before starting a workout program. For a great fat loss workout see Body of FIRE.

Original article

Natural Ways to Lower Blood Cholesterol Level

Many people are actually confused about the good effects and ill effects that high levels of cholesterol can cause to our body. In fact, there are two types of cholesterol, the good cholesterol or the HDL and the bad one, the LDL cholesterol. Cholesterol is actually needed for stimulating production of estrogen and testosterone. Also, presence of bad cholesterol cannot singularly harm your life, but its combination with bad lifestyle practices, lack of physical exercise regimen and excessive body weight can prove to be lethal, if not controlled effectively.

However, demonization of cholesterol in the medical circles has resulted in a spurt in production of drugs that are peddled as great cholesterol reducers. With different companies rushing into the scene, the scene is very hot with manufacturers vying with each other to attract potential customers with attractive advertisements and campaigns. Unfortunately, none of these write ups give conclusive evidence on how their merchandise would work and also about what are the side effects.

It has been observed that the major side effects of cholesterol reducing drugs are damages to kidney and muscles, inexplicable weakness, weakening of the immune system and most frighteningly, some types of cancers. In truth, prescription drugs never act as a life enhancer, but as a destroyer of health in the long term. Regular consumption of such drugs can also cause problems with eye sight and general pain.

Statin drugs are commonly used to fight bad cholesterol, but they need to be consumed with caution. Consuming the drug with grapefruit juice, anti-fungal drugs and antibiotics can invariably deteriorate your physical health, which may, in some cases, lead to death too. The most prominent negative effects of statin drugs are continuous headaches, pain in joints and stomach, numbness or tingling in limbs, nausea, depression, breathlessness, weight fluctuations, diabetes, skin problems, unwarranted blood pressure variations, loose bowels or constipation, bleeding from the ears etc.

This effectively points to the fact that drugs are not the one stop solution for bad cholesterol as one may think. This also means that one has to adopt a healthy lifestyle regimen involving consumption of natural foods and exercises to keep cholesterol levels at acceptable rates effectively, without any side effects. Many common foods out there are great cholesterol suppressants. These include olive oil, popcorn, fatty fishes, oats, dark chocolate, beans, apples, almonds and artichokes. It is no wonder that newer generations of cholesterol management drugs are claiming to contain extracts of these in enough quantities. But still, it is better to consult an expert in the field before you take a dive towards changing your dietary habits.

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