Blood pressure levels are on the rise. By recent estimates, approximately 73 million American adults -- one in three -- are living with hypertension (high blood pressure), whether they realize it or not. With numbers that high, chances are you either know someone with hypertension (or its precursor, pre-hypertension), you have it, or both.
Blood Pressure Basics
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries as it circulates in the body. High blood pressure occurs when blood vessels become narrow or stiff, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body. When the force of the blood against the artery walls becomes too high, it constitutes high blood pressure.
An optimal blood pressure reading is 120/80 (or lower). Since blood pressure fluctuates, a diagnosis of high blood pressure must be confirmed during three or more visits to your doctor or clinic. For healthy adults age 18 and older, blood pressure that stays at 140/90 or higher is considered high. Because people often don't experience physical symptoms when they have high blood pressure, it's easy to dismiss the disease as "no big deal," but in reality, it's quite serious.
High blood pressure is a major health problem and a leading cause of kidney disease, placing millions at risk for kidney damage and ultimately kidney failure. Even pre-hypertension can damage kidneys and other organs, so it's important to take it seriously.
Beyond the diagnosis, what are the treatments? Laughter may be the best medicine for some ailments, but in the case of high blood pressure (for the most part), pills are paramount. Because high blood pressure is often hereditary, physicians usually prescribe medications to control it. Often physicians will also recommend healthy lifestyle changes in conjunction with these medications. If someone receives a diagnosis of pre-hypertension or borderline high blood pressure, a clinician may encourage alternative (non-pharmacological) treatment methods as a first line of defense, especially if patients are initially reluctant to take medications.
Which blood pressure treatments come out on top when it comes to alternative treatment therapies?
A new report evaluating the latest evidence and research offers pretty mixed results. Get the verdict with this breakdown of 10 common alternative high blood pressure treatment methods.
The verdict: As you may have guessed from its name, following the DASH diet and making other dietary modifications, such as drinking alcohol only in moderation, and limiting sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams (1 teaspoon of salt) per day have on average been proven to lower high blood pressure by approximately 4-8 mm of mercury. Remember that sodium content can be high even if foods don't taste "salty," so it's important to always read nutrition labels. Don't be shy when it comes to your health. At restaurants, you can ask for foods to be prepared without added salt.
While the scientific jury is still out on some alternative treatments, it's never too late to start eating right, exercising and losing weight. For more information about high blood pressure and kidney disease, visit the National Kidney Foundation's website.
Have you tried to lower your high blood pressure in a non-traditional way? Share your story in the comments!
For more from Leslie Spry, M.D., FACP, click here.
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