Blood Pressure Drug Facts

Blood Pressure Drug Facts
There is no greater profit center for drug companies than high blood pressure, aka hypertension.  According to the CDC, it's currently THE most commonly diagnosed condition at a doctor's visit in the US. The mere thought of it creates intense fear of heart attacks and strokes among most people. And the pharmaceutical industry plays upon those fears to create patients for life by recommending daily drugging for people who are even coming CLOSE to having high blood pressure...magically termed "pre-hypertension." But not only are "thy daily meds" NOT necessary in a large number of cases, but they can be downright HARMFUL! Read on--you won't want to miss a word of this.   Hypertension is not even an illness! First and foremost, it's important that you know hypertension is NOT even an illness! It's simply a risk factor, meaning that it (along with SEVERAL other factors) MAY suggest you are at an increased risk for a heart attack or stroke. Here's why it's a risk factor for SOME people: A repeated strong force of blood pushing against your artery walls can cause little tears or weakening, which can lead to inflammation. Your body uses cholesterol to repair these little injuries, which is the natural healing process. But if the arterial inflammation becomes long-term and chronic, that's when you may get build-up of cholesterol, then eventually atherosclerosis and become a heart disease risk. So it's CHRONIC INFLAMMATION that is the real culprit behind the danger--not merely a blood pressure reading! See the difference?   Many different causes The underlying causes of high blood pressure run the gamut and can include: * Genetics--A tendency to have higher blood pressure may run in families. * Biochemical individuality--Higher blood pressure is perfectly normal for some people. * Too much sodium and/or too little potassium in your diet can elevate blood pressure. * Medications--Steroids, pain relievers, diet pills, antidepressants and oral contraceptives can ALL raise blood pressure. * Stress--Your stress hormones cause your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow, which can raise blood pressure. * Age--Higher blood pressure is a common occurrence with aging and does not necessarily indicate a problem. * Smoking--Nicotine decreases oxygen to your heart, constricts your blood vessels and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. * Acid waste buildup--Acid wastes in your bloodstream (from poor digestion) can rob your blood of oxygen and make your heart have to work harder.   Now I have a question for you: With SO many different possibilities for the underlying cause of elevated blood pressure, doesn't it make sense to address what may be the true cause of yours and get rid of it for good?   I'm not listening, I'm not listening Just like a defiant toddler who can't have a cookie before dinner, the drug companies do not care that, say, quitting smoking or eating more foods with potassium will solve your blood pressure problem for good. They want what they want...YOU as a lifetime patient -- and that's THAT. And they will exert a "temper tantrum" of pressure to make sure you get your script and get in line at the pharmacy. Thanks to their pressures on the medical community to: 1- lower the blood pressure classifications and 2- their suggestion to prescribe drugs for people who are even in the pre-hypertension range... ...as well as their creative marketing to the public to "Ask your doctor if XYZ drug is right for you," elevated blood pressure is now universally seen as a dangerous condition that MUST be treated with drugs no matter WHO you are or what your circumstances may be. That means that anyone whose blood pressure equals or exceeds the "normal" threshold of under 120/80 gets labeled as follows: 120/80 to 139/89: Prehypertension 140/90 to 159/99: Stage 1 hypertension 160/100 and higher: Stage 2 hypertension The drug companies LOVE this, because it means gazillions of dollars each and every year in drugs that many people likely don't need -- at ALL.   The truth is starting to trickle in There's one problem with this perfect process to produce profits of portly proportions... ...The truth is starting to trickle in, my friend. Independent experts and increasing numbers of recent studies now report that blood pressure drugs used to treat mild cases of hypertension not only do NOT reduce heart attacks, strokes or overall deaths, but they come with a mile long list of nasty "side effects!" For example, in reviewing thousands of mild hypertension cases, the Cochrane Collaboration found that NO benefit was noted in the use of drugs to treat mild hypertension, coupled with the possibility that the drugs cause net harm. In addition, there was also a non-significant trend toward MORE heart attacks among medicated patients! The net harm caused by blood pressure drugs can include loss of libido, sudden pain, urinary infections, asthma symptoms, insomnia, depression, coughing, rashes, dizziness, drowsiness, constipation and diarrhea. And get this--one of the "side effects" of these unnecessary medications is DEATH. Yeah, I'd call that a side effect -- a permanent one.   Disease creep There is an actual expression called "disease creep" which affects untold numbers of people. Disease creep occurs when people with risk factors for a condition or even just a mild case of an illness are drugged with the same medications as patients with severe cases. In these cases, it is easy for the dangerous, harmful drug effects to completely overwhelm any possible benefit. And what to do about the harmful effects? Prescribe MORE drugs, of course! Jay Siwek, editor of the journal American Family Physician, notes that disease creep can be seen as clear as day in the recently created concept of "predisease" - including "prehypertension" and "prediabetes."   Stop the craziness -- and save a ton of money Regardless of what your blood pressure is and whether or not you're already on medication, you can take a great many measures to help address the underlying cause(s). If you do, you'll likely see your numbers come down and possibly not even need medication at all! Here are some of the very best ways you can make a HUGE difference in those numbers of yours: 1) Quit the butts High blood pressure is yet ANOTHER great reason to put the deadly smoking habit behind you for good. There are a LOT of suggestions and information out there on where to start and what you can do. Here's a good site that may help: - http://www.helpguide.org/mental/quit_smoking_cessation.htm   2) Move it, move it Not only does exercise help relieve stress, but it strengthens all of your muscles including your heart, and helps eliminate acid wastes and toxins -- all of which can bring your blood pressure down.   3) Explore alternatives If you're on a medication that causes high blood pressure, it's time to talk to your doctor about alternatives...or see if it's possible to lower your dose or get off them altogether.   4) Eat your way to better numbers Having a diet of real (not fast or processed) foods and eating meals that digest efficiently can help reduce acid wastes in your system and help ensure you get the nutrients (including the crucial potassium) your body needs. Plus less reliance on fast or processed foods means you naturally get LESS sodium. ALL of which can bring your blood pressure down (as well as your weight)! In the Great Taste No Pain health system, I'll teach you everything you need to know to accomplish this. In Great Taste No Pain, there are simple step-by-step guides that tell you exactly what to eat (and what not to eat) and how to structure your meals to minimize health-wrecking acid wastes. With fewer acid wastes clogging up your bloodstream, your heart can have a much easier time pumping blood through your system. And you'll get the benefit of better nutrient absorption, which can help make sure your body has what it needs to function optimally from head to toe, as well as help excess pounds slide off. Talk about a win-win-win!   5) Reduce inflammation with Omega-3 EFAs Omega-3 essential fatty acids have shown to be an effective tool to help fight high blood pressure in these 2 ways: A- Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help counteract any inflammation you might currently have festering up in your arteries. and 2- They help keep blood clots from forming by reducing the stickiness in your platelets and curbing the production of protein strands that can get tangled up with platelets and result in a clot. As a matter of fact, they've been medically PROVEN to help lower blood pressure! Studies show that daily Omega-3 supplementation alone can lower your systolic (the top number) pressure by five points or more and your diastolic (the bottom number) pressure by three points or more! Unfortunately, because our typical diets are heavy on processed foods, vegetable oils and meats from grain-fed animals (all foods that are completely lacking Omega-3 EFAs), most people in developed countries are seriously deficient in this crucial nutrient. In addition, these foods that are staples in our modern diets are also LOADED with Omega-6 EFAs -- which stir up inflammation! Talk about a double-edged sword! So in addition to eating more fatty fish (like salmon), one of the best ways to engage the natural anti-inflammatory action of Omega-3 EFAs to help fight high blood pressure is to take a very high-quality fish oil supplement. And for outstanding quality, look no further than VitalMega-3. VitalMega-3 gives you 1,200 mg. of these essential nutrients (including the all-important EPA and DHA).   Stop the danger Congratulations--you've now become an expert in the Sherry Brescia School of Blood Pressure Facts. And instead of thinking that potentially deadly drugs are your destiny, you now know there are other better, safer options. Put them to work for you, and I bet you and your doctor will get a very pleasant surprise next time you get your blood pressure taken! To your health, Sherry Brescia PS: We're now on Facebook! Like us here: - https://www.facebook.com/GreatTasteNoPain.HolisticBlendsInc PPS: Ralph's off the preventive drugs and feeling great! Dear Sherry, 12 years ago I had by-pass surgery and was immediate put on Lipitor, Diovan, a high blood pressure pill, and a baby aspirin every other day. Last April I got a bad case of influenza and ended up sitting in the lazy boy chair for 11 weeks, feeling like a zombie. I just wasn't getting any better, only to get worse by getting bladder and kidney infections. When that happened, my family doctor told me to stop taking the Crestor (I was switched to Crestor 2 years ago) and the Diovan. That's when I started to recover! Here is the thing--I was never told by any doctor that I had a high cholesterol or high blood pressure problem to begin with! My doctor said that taking these drugs was for "preventative" reasons. After having been off these pills, my cholesterol levels and blood pressure are normal, actually my blood pressure is slightly lower! One of the side effects of statins is that they lower your immune system. Hmm... I got influenza, bladder and kidney infections! No surprise there! While I was laid up, I was reading a health article written by a medical doctor and he said this about statins: "Statins will go down in medical history as one of the biggest errors." People get off statins, they will poison you. Just eat better! Sherry, I have taken your advice about eating. I used to take Tums to kill off the heartburn, not anymore. Just eat real foods. Thanks for the email and God bless, Ralph ******************* Check out THOUSANDS of Great Taste No Pain success stories here. ===================== Years of junk foods, meats, alcohol and soft drinks results in a decrease in your body's ability to produce digestive enzymes. This can result in daily painful gas, bloating, heartburn and constipation no matter how otherwise healthy your diet is! Digestizol Max can help turn that around for you fast. Its effective blend of 14 plant-derived enzymes and soothing herbs will help carry out the job of digestion and keep you feeling great! Learn more about Digestizol Max here. ==== Got low energy? Brain fog? CRS disease? You just may be low in in just one vitamin. One out of four people are. Read more about this deficiency and how you can help turn that around FAST. ====   Want the best probiotic on the market today? Then learn why Super Shield outshines all the rest here.  ====   A medical-grade fish oil formula like VitalMega-3 can help fight high cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as keep your joints feeling good, reducing chronic inflammation. Learn more about VitalMega-3 and all the great things it can do for you here. ==== Gluten has been linked to hundreds of health problems, including autoimmune diseases. If you are gluten sensitive or have an autoimmune disease, see what avoiding gluten can do for you.  Great Taste No Gluten will make gluten avoidance easy, while giving you 160 of the world's best gluten-free recipes to make you love every bite of your gluten-free life. Learn more about Great Taste No Gluten here. Want case studies?  Here are a few THOUSAND health turnarounds for you to marvel at. Haven't taken the Great Taste No Pain test drive?  Why not?  Get over to - http://www.greattastenopain.com/freereports/ and feel the power of Great Taste No Pain. Want to read past articles? 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