How often do you check your blood pressure? Do you still believe the old standard of any blood pressure reading under 139/89 mm/Hg is nothing to worry about? You could be dead wrong.
Over the decades, we continue to hone the right values for different markers of health. The old standard for fasting glucose was 139 mg/dL. Today, a fasting glucose of 126 mg/dL is indicative of type II diabetes. The current health standard for fasting glucose is anything below 100 mg/dL is safe. Yet, some doctors fear that a fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL is prediabetic and should be treated accordingly.
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is similar. The old standard was 139/89 mm/Hg. Today, 120/80 mm/Hg is defined as good health. Yet, the newest optimum hypertension standard should be 115/75 mm/Hg. One might think a crazy millimeter or two is nothing. It is, and should be considered as a marker for future health concerns.
When your systolic blood pressure consistency runs above 120 mm/Hg and 139 mm/Hg, you have a 55% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, 50% increased risk of coronary heart disease and 71% increased risk of stroke.
Every year for over 30 years I had a Navy flight physical. I was an aviator and it was required. I noticed that my blood pressure would peak when I didn’t exercise; or, when I put on a bit too much weight. I could correct either problem and my blood pressure was considered normal back then.
Some people can control blood pressure with diet and exercise. Others cannot. High blood pressure has lots of causes. You can treat a couple (like weight and lack of exercise) and it might work. If you don’t know the cause, then there will be no correction.
Prescription drugs treat hypertension. They attack a specific cause. I know people who have had to change their blood pressure medicines over time because a new cause popped up and the old prescription medicine was no longer of value.
There are some natural options, besides weight control and exercise. Quercetin, myricitrin, myricetin act like block angiotensin-blocking drugs. Stevioside blocks calcium channels similar to calcium channel-blocking drugs. Melatonin is effective for nocturnal control during sleep.
Talk to your physician if you are on prescription meds for hypertension and ask if you can trade off your prescription med for a natural option for a couple of months to see if it might be effective. If you don’t have your blood pressure checked often, consider buying the equipment and using it. It might save your life. However, if you think there is nothing to worry about – you could be dead wrong.
