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Hypertension

Click here for why I feel that Micardis® (telmisartan) should be the first line treatment for hypertension.

Popular Medications/Related Topics:

• Hypertension / pulse pressure / hardening of the arteries / angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) / ace inhibitors / alpha blockers / calcium channel blockers / diuretics / beta blockers / Renin Inhibitors /  Vanlev (omapatrilat) / aldosterone blockers / dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium antagonist / first line treatment for hypertension

• DASH Diet / memory and hypertension / White Coat Hypertension

Popular Supplements:

• Anti-Ace Peptides™ / Celery Extract / Co-enzyme Q10 / Melatonin / Hawthorn / Omega-3 Fatty Acids / Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) / Magnesium / Stevia / Vitamin C / Vitamin E / Potassium / HMB / Folic Acid / L-Citrulline / L-Arginine / Garlic / Green Tea
• Omron blood pressure monitor at Amazon.com

Alternative News:

• Effects of watermelon supplementation on arterial stiffness and wave reflection amplitude in postmenopausal women - Menopause. 2013 May;20(5):573-7 - "In a randomized cross-over study, 12 postmenopausal women (mean [SE] age, 57 [1] y; mean [SE] body mass index, 38.1 [2.1] kg/m; mean [SE] SBP, 153 [4] mm Hg) were assigned to watermelon supplementation (L-citrulline/L-arginine 6 g/d) or placebo supplementation for 6 weeks ... baPWV (-1.2 [0.3] m/s, P < 0.001), aortic SBP (-10 [3] mm Hg, P < 0.01), and aortic diastolic blood pressure (-7 [1] mm Hg, P < 0.001) decreased after watermelon supplementation compared with placebo ... Watermelon supplementation reduces arterial stiffness and aortic SBP by reducing pressure wave reflection amplitude in obese postmenopausal women with hypertension" - Note:  A -10 on the systolic is about what you'd get with prescription medications. - See Stimulin at iHerb (1,875 mg of L-citrulline) and Jarrow Formulas, Arginine 1000, 1000 mg, 100 Easy-Solv Tablets at iHerb.
• Relationship of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids to blood pressure: the international study of macro/micronutrients and blood pressure - J Hypertens. 2013 Apr 6 - "Dietary monounsaturated fatty acid intake, especially oleic acid from vegetable sources, may contribute to prevention and control of adverse blood pressure levels in general populations"
• New evidence that egg white protein may help high blood pressure - Science Daily, 4/9/13 - "We have evidence from the laboratory that a substance in egg white –– it’s a peptide, one of the building blocks of proteins –– reduces blood pressure about as much as a low dose of Captopril, a high-blood-pressure drug ... Yu and colleagues, who are with Clemson University, used a peptide called RVPSL ... They set out to further document RVPSL’s effects, using laboratory rats that develop high blood pressure and are stand-ins for humans in such early research on hypertension ... RVPSL did not have apparent toxic effects and lowered blood pressure by amounts comparable to low doses of Captopril"
• Reducing salt and increasing potassium will have major global health benefits - Science Daily, 4/4/13 - "increased potassium intake reduces blood pressure in adults, with no adverse effects on blood lipids, hormone levels or kidney function. Higher potassium intake was linked with a 24% lower risk of stroke in adults and may also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure in children, but more data is needed" - See potassium citrate products at iHerb.
• Clinical Evaluation of Blood Pressure Lowering, Endothelial Function Improving, Hypolipidemic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Pomegranate Juice in Hypertensive Subjects - Phytother Res. 2013 Mar 21 - "Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice (PJ) contains different types of antioxidants and bioactive polyphenols and has been reported to promote cardiovascular health through several mechanisms. The present study aimed to examine the effects of 2-week intake of fresh PJ on blood pressure, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), serum lipid profile and concentrations of inflammatory and endothelial function biomarkers. Twenty-one hypertensive patients (aged 30-67 years) were recruited into the trial and assigned to receive either PJ (150 ml/day in a single occasion between lunch and dinner; n = 11) or the same amount of water (n = 10) for a period of 2 weeks ... PJ consumption was associated with significant reductions in SBP (p = 0.002) and DBP (p = 0.038) but not FMD (p > 0.05)" - See pomegranate Juice Extracts at iHerb.
• Vitamin D Supplements Tied to Lower Blood Pressure in Blacks - WebMD, 3/15/13 -"vitamin D may lower blood pressure by causing blood vessels to relax, allowing for more and easier blood flow ... Forman's team randomly assigned 250 black participants to one of three doses of vitamin D supplements or an inactive placebo ... those taking 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day saw their systolic blood pressure drop by 0.7 mm Hg. For those taking 2,000 IU, the drop was 3.4 mm Hg, and for those taking 4,000 IU, systolic pressure dropped by 4 mm Hg ... those receiving the placebo saw their systolic blood pressure rise by 1.7 mm Hg, the researchers noted ... Endocrine Society committee guidelines recommend that adults take 1,500 to 2,000 units of vitamin D daily" - [Abstract] - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure by directly activating large-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Mar 4 - "This finding has practical implications for the use of omega-3 fatty acids as nutraceuticals for the general public and also for the critically ill receiving omega-3-enriched formulas" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb and Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• High Intake of Dietary Long-Chain ω-3 Fatty Acids Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure in Children Born With Low Birth Weight: NHANES 2003-2008 - Hypertension. 2013 Mar 4 - "Reduced fetal growth is associated with increased systolic blood pressure ... In the 354 participants with reduced birth weight, when compared with children with the lowest tertile of intake, those who had the highest tertile of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid intake had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (-4.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval, -9.7 to -0.1]) and pulse pressure (-7.7 mm Hg [95% confidence interval, -15.0 to -0.4])" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb and Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• Folate deficiency is associated with oxidative stress, increased blood pressure, and insulin resistance in spontaneously hypertensive rats - Am J Hypertens. 2013 Jan;26(1):135-40 - "we analyzed the role of folate deficiency in pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) ... Folate deficiency also increased systolic blood pressure by approximately 15mm Hg ... These findings demonstrate that the SHR model is susceptible to the adverse metabolic and hemodynamic effects of low dietary intake of folate. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that folate deficiency can promote oxidative stress and multiple features of the metabolic syndrome that are associated with increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease" - See folic acid products at iHerb.
• Aged garlic extract reduces blood pressure in hypertensives: a dose-response trial - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012 Nov 21 - "A total of 79 general practice patients with uncontrolled systolic hypertension participated in a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled dose-response trial of 12 weeks. Participants were allocated to one of three garlic groups with either of one, two or four capsules daily of aged garlic extract (240/480/960 mg containing 0.6/1.2/2.4 mg of S-allylcysteine) or placebo ... Mean systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced by 11.8±5.4 mm Hg in the garlic-2-capsule group over 12 weeks compared with placebo (P=0.006), and reached borderline significant reduction in the garlic-4-capsule group at 8 weeks (-7.4±4.1 mm Hg, P=0.07). Changes in systolic blood pressure in the garlic-1-capsule group and diastolic blood pressure were not significantly different to placebo. Tolerability, compliance and acceptability were high in all garlic groups (93%) and highest in the groups taking one or two capsules daily" - See garlic products at iHerb.
• Impressive Antihypertensive Effect With Flaxseed - Medscape, 11/6/12 - "Adding flaxseed to the diets of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) resulted in large drops in blood pressure (BP) of around 10 mm Hg systolic and 7 mm Hg diastolic after six months ... Such reductions would be expected to result in around a 50% fall in the incidence of stroke and a 30% reduction in MI ... They randomized 110 patients with PAD and an ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.9 to milled flaxseed (30 g/day) in the form of bagels, muffins, and buns (n=58) or placebo products (n=52), made from wheat with a similar flavor, for one year" - See flax seed products at iHerb.
• Beneficial effect of genistein on lowering blood pressure and kidney toxicity in fructose-fed hypertensive rats - Br J Nutr. 2012 Sep 21:1-7 - "The study evaluates the effects of genistein on blood pressure (BP) and ultrastructural changes in kidney of fructose-fed hypertensive rats ... Genistein administration lowered BP, restored ACE, PKC-βII and eNOS expression and preserved renal ultrastructural integrity. These findings demonstrate that genistein has effects on eNOS activity in renal cells, leading to eNOS activation and NO synthesis. These effects could have been mediated by activation of PKC-βII. The observed benefits of genistein make it a promising candidate for therapy of diabetic kidney disease" - See genistein products at iHerb.
• Blueberry intervention improves vascular reactivity and lowers blood pressure in high-fat-, high-cholesterol-fed rats - Br J Nutr. 2012 Oct 9:1-9 - "Rats were randomly assigned to follow a control chow diet, a chow diet supplemented with 2 % (w/w) BB, a high-fat diet (10 % lard; 0.5 % cholesterol) or the high fat plus BB for 10 weeks. Rats supplemented with BB showed significant reductions in systolic BP (SBP) of 11 and 14 %, at weeks 8 and 10, respectively, relative to rats fed the control chow diet (week 8 SBP: 107.5 (sem 4.7) v. 122.2 (sem 2.1) mmHg, P = 0.018; week 10 SBP: 115.0 (sem 3.1) v. 132.7 (sem 1.5) mmHg, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, SBP was reduced by 14 % in rats fed with the high fat plus 2 % BB diet at week 10, compared to those on the high-fat diet only (SBP: 118.2 (sem 3.6) v. 139.5 (sem 4.5) mmHg, P < 0.0001). Aortas harvested from BB-fed animals exhibited significantly reduced contractile responses (to l-phenylephrine) compared to those fed the control chow or high-fat diets. Furthermore, in rats fed with high fat supplemented with BB, aorta relaxation was significantly greater in response to acetylcholine compared to animals fed with the fat diet" - See blueberry extracts at iHerb and Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex, 60 Caplets at iHerb (which contains blueberry extract).
• The effect of coffee consumption on blood pressure and the development of hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis - J Hypertens. 2012 Oct 1 - "Ovid, MEDLINE (from 1948), EMBASE (from 1988), and all of Web of Science and Scopus ... Low-quality evidence did not show any statistically significant effect of coffee consumption on BP or the risk of hypertension. Given the quality of the currently available evidence, no recommendation can be made for or against coffee consumption as it relates to BP and hypertension"
• Sesame & Rice Bran Oil, Yogurt Help Blood Pressure - WebMD, 9/19/12 - "The first study showed a sesame and rice bran oil blend reduced blood pressure almost as well as a commonly used medication. And the second study found that people who routinely eat yogurt are less likely to develop high blood pressure ... In the yogurt study, about 2,000 adults without high blood pressure were followed for 14 years. The researchers found that participants were 31% less likely to develop high blood pressure if more than 2% of their daily calories came from yogurt" - See sesame seed products at iHerb and rice bran oil at iHerb.
• Dark chocolate, cocoa compounds, may reduce blood pressure - Science Daily, 8/14/12 - "The researchers reviewed evidence from short-term trials in which participants were given dark chocolate or cocoa powder daily and found that their blood pressure dropped slightly compared to a control group ... Cocoa contains compounds called flavanols, thought to be responsible for the formation of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide causes blood vessel walls to relax and open wider, thereby reducing blood pressure. The link between cocoa and blood pressure stems from the discovery that the indigenous people of San Blas Island in Central American, who drink flavanol-rich cocoa drinks every day, have normal blood pressure regardless of age ... Flavanol-rich chocolate or cocoa powder reduced blood pressure on average by 2-3 mm Hg" -  [Abstract] - Note:  I'm betting that this formula will cover most of those flavanols: Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex, 60 Caplets at iHerb.
• Decaffeinated green tea extract improves hypertension and insulin resistance in a rat model of metabolic syndrome - Atherosclerosis. 2012 Jul 15 - "Decaffeinated-GTE reduced the formation of ROS and NADPH oxidase activity and stimulated phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt in the aorta of a rat model of MetS, which resulted in improved endothelial dysfunction and IR, and eventually lowered BP" - See Jarrow Green Tea extract at iHerb.
• Effects of Pycnogenol on Endothelial Function in Stable CAD - Medscape, 8/2/12 - "Recent studies suggested a blood pressure-lowering effect of Pycnogenol. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study involving 11 patients, supplementation with Pycnogenol 200 mg q.d. significantly reduced systolic blood pressure of patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension from 139.9 ± 3.3 to 132.7 ± 4.18 mmHg (P < 0.05) after 8 weeks of therapy, while diastolic blood pressure remained stable (93.8 ± 1.23 vs. 92 ± 1.7 mmHg, P = NS) ... This study demonstrates for the first time an improvement of endothelial function after 8-week treatment with Pycnogenol at a dose of 200 mg q.d. in patients with stable CAD. Pycnogenol significantly reduced oxidative stress as assessed by plasma levels of 8-isoprostanes, but left ADMA and SDMA as well as plasma ET-1 levels unaffected" - See Pine Bark/Pycnogenol products at iHerb.
• Big doses of vitamin C may lower blood pressure - Science Daily, 4/18/12 - "Miller and his colleagues reviewed and analyzed data from 29 randomized, controlled, previously published clinical trials that reported systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure values and also compared vitamin C intake to a placebo. What they found is that taking an average of 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily -- about five times the recommended daily requirement -- reduced blood pressure by 3.84 millimeters of mercury in the short term. Among those diagnosed with hypertension, the drop was nearly 5 millimeters of mercury ... By comparison, Miller says, patients who take blood pressure medication such as ACE inhibitors or diuretics (so-called "water pills") can expect a roughly 10 millimeter of mercury reduction in blood pressure" - Note:  I don't consider 500 mg "Big doses".  See Garden of Life, Vitamin Code, Raw Vitamin C, 60 UltraZorbe Veggie Caps at iHerb.
• Folate intake and incidence of hypertension among American young adults: a 20-y follow-up study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Apr 4 - "Laboratory studies suggest that folate intake may decrease blood pressure (BP) through increasing nitric oxide synthesis in endothelial cells and/or reducing plasma homocysteine concentrations ... participants in the highest quintile of total folate intake had a significantly lower incidence of hypertension (HR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.62; P-trend < 0.01) than did those in the lowest quintile. The multivariable HRs for the same comparison were 0.33 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.51; P-trend < 0.01) in whites and 0.54 (95% CI: 0.40, 0.75; P-trend < 0.01) in African Americans (P-interaction = 0.047)" - See folic acid products at iHerb.
• Magnesium lowers blood pressure, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/13/12 - "In the trials, the magnesium supplementation doses ranged from 120 to 973 mg with between 3 to 24 weeks of follow-up. Although not all individual trials showed significance in blood pressure reduction, by combining the trials, the overall data indicated that magnesium supplementation reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. With the best results observed at the higher dosages" - See Jarrow Formulas, Magnesium Optimizer Citrate, 100 Easy-Solv Tablets at iHerb.
• Magnesium linked to better blood pressure: Meta-analysis - Nutra USA, 2/13/12 - "data pooled from seven prospective studies revealed that, for every 100 mg per day increase in magnesium intake, the risk of stroke was reduced by about 9% ... magnesium supplementation was associated with a 3 to 4 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 2-3 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure, with the best results observed for doses over 370 milligrams per day" - See Jarrow Formulas, Magnesium Optimizer Citrate, 100 Easy-Solv Tablets at iHerb.
• Increased Serum Ferritin Predicts the Development of Hypertension Among Middle-Aged Men - Am J Hypertens. 2012 Jan 26 - "After adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI), the odds ratios (OR) was substantially higher for new hypertension (OR 1.54, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 1.26-1.88; P for trend <0.001) in subjects with the highest ferritin quartiles compared with those in the lowest quartiles"
• Associations of plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors among Chinese - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2012 Jan 20 - "Our results suggest that plasma PL n-3 PUFA was significantly inversely associated with hypertension in Chinese. It would seem appropriate for hypertensive subjects to increase their dietary n-3 PUFA which may help reduce BP" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb and Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• Effects of Swimming Training on Blood Pressure and Vascular Function in Adults >50 Years of Age - Am J Cardiol. 2012 Jan 11 - "Forty-three otherwise healthy adults >50 years old (60 ± 2) with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension and not on any medication were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of swimming exercise or attention time control ... Casual systolic BP decreased significantly from 131 ± 3 to 122 ± 4 mm Hg in the swimming training group. Significant decreases in systolic BP were also observed in ambulatory (daytime) and central (carotid) BP measurements. Swimming exercise produced a 21% increase in carotid artery compliance (p <0.05). Flow-mediated dilation and cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity improved after the swim training program"
• Vegetarian diets and blood pressure among white subjects: results from the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) - Public Health Nutr. 2012 Jan 10:1-8 - "Covariate-adjusted regression analyses demonstrated that the vegan vegetarians had lower systolic and diastolic BP (mmHg) than omnivorous Adventists (β = -6.8, P < 0.05 and β = -6.9, P < 0.001). Findings for lacto-ovo vegetarians (β = -9.1, P < 0.001 and β = -5.8, P < 0.001) were similar. The vegetarians (mainly the vegans) were also less likely to be using antihypertensive medications. Defining hypertension as systolic BP > 139 mmHg or diastolic BP > 89 mmHg or use of antihypertensive medications, the odds ratio of hypertension compared with omnivores was 0.37 (95 % CI 0.19, 0.74), 0.57 (95 % CI 0.36, 0.92) and 0.92 (95 % CI 0.50, 1.70), respectively, for vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians and partial vegetarians. Effects were reduced after adjustment for BMI ... CONCLUSIONS: We conclude from this relatively large study that vegetarians, especially vegans, with otherwise diverse characteristics but stable diets, do have lower systolic and diastolic BP and less hypertension than omnivores. This is only partly due to their lower body mass"
• Effect of Oral L-Arginine Supplementation on Blood Pressure - Medscape, 12/30/11 - "This meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials brought evidence that oral L-arginine supplementation, compared with placebo, significantly lowered systolic BP by 5.39 mm Hg (95% CI −8.54 to −2.25) and diastolic BP by 2.66 mm Hg (95% CI −3.77 to −1.54)" - See Jarrow Formulas, Arginine 1000, 1000 mg, 100 Easy-Solv Tablets at iHerb.
• Curcumin and Piperine Prevent Remodeling of Aorta - Medscape, 12/26/11 - "N-nitro-L-arginine-methylester (L-NAME) is a nonspecific inhibitor of all three NO synthase (NOS) isoforms (neuronal - nNOS; inducible - iNOS; endothelial - eNOS) and causes an increase of blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner when administered to the experimental animals ... Administration of piperine or curcumin to animals with L-NAME-induced hypertension lead to a decrease of blood pressure, curcumin causing a more significant drop. Similar hypertension reducing effect of curcumin has been reported recently by Nakmreong et al.[34] Another study[25] registered a significant decrease of blood pressure after intravenous piperine administration. Piperine treatment was effective also in lowering blood pressure in rats with L-NAME-induced experimental hypertension described by Kumar et al.[36] The combination of curcumin and piperine in our experiment did not cause a statistically significant blood pressure decrease (with the exception of the third week) but it is apparent that it copies the course of the piperine graph curve. These differences in the results are probably related to different mechanisms of effect by the spices on blood pressure" - See curcumin/turmeric products at iHerb and piperine products at iHerb.
• Effect of oral l-arginine supplementation on blood pressure: A meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials - Am Heart J. 2011 Dec;162(6):959-65 - "We included 11 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving 387 participants with oral l-arginine intervention ranging from 4 to 24 g/d. Compared with placebo, l-arginine intervention significantly lowered systolic BP by 5.39 mm Hg (95% CI -8.54 to -2.25, P = .001) and diastolic BP by 2.66 mm Hg (95% CI -3.77 to -1.54, P < .001). Sensitivity analyses restricted to trials with a duration of 4 weeks or longer and to trials in which participants did not use antihypertensive medications yielded similar results. Meta-regression analysis suggested an inverse, though insignificant (P = .13), relation between baseline systolic BP and net change in systolic BP" - See Jarrow Formulas, Arginine 1000, 1000 mg, 100 Easy-Solv Tablets at iHerb.
• Pomegranate Juice Lowers Cardiovascular Risk Factors - Medscape, 11/12/11 - "At 12 months, those in the juice group were taking significantly fewer antihypertensive drugs than those in the placebo group (P < .05). In the juice group, 22% of the subjects were taking fewer and 12.2% were taking more antihypertensive drugs; in the placebo group, 7.7% were taking fewer and 34.6% were taking more antihypertensive drugs" - See pomegranate Juice Extracts at iHerb.
• Hypothalamic gene expression in ω-3 PUFA-deficient male rats before, and following, development of hypertension - Hypertens Res. 2011 Nov 10 - "Dietary deficiency of ω-3 fatty acids (ω-3 DEF) produces hypertension in later life ... Animals were fed experimental diets that were deficient in ω-3 fatty acids, sufficient in short-chain ω-3 fatty acids or sufficient in short- and long-chain ω-3 fatty acids, from the prenatal period until 10 or 36 weeks-of-age. There was no difference in blood pressure between groups at 10 weeks-of-age; however, at 36 weeks-of-age ω-3 DEF animals were hypertensive in relation to sufficient groups. At 10 weeks, expression of angiotensin-II(1A) receptors and dopamine D(3) receptors were significantly increased in the hypothalamic tissue of ω-3 DEF animals. In contrast, at 36 weeks, α(2a) and β(1) adrenergic receptor expression was significantly reduced in the ω-3 DEF group. Brain docosahexaenoic acid was significantly lower in ω-3 DEF group compared with sufficient groups. This study demonstrates that dietary ω-3 DEF causes changes both in the expression of key genes involved in central blood pressure regulation and in blood pressure. The data may indicate that hypertension resulting from ω-3 DEF is mediated by the central adrenergic system" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb and Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• Serum Calcium Levels and Hypertension Among US Adults - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011 Oct;13(10):716-21 - "Elevated serum total calcium levels were positively associated with hypertension, independent of potential confounders including C-reactive protein, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum albumin, 25(OH)D, and phosphorous. Compared with the lowest quartile of serum total calcium (referent category), the multivariable odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of hypertension was 1.49 (1.15-1.93) for the highest quartile (P=.005). This association persisted in subgroup analyses stratified by sex, age, and race-ethnicity. In contrast, serum ionized calcium levels were not associated with hypertension. Higher serum total calcium levels are positively associated with hypertension in a representative sample of US adults"
• Isomer-specific effects of conjugated linoleic acid on blood pressure, adipocyte size and function - Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep 23:1-9 - "Consumption of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to modulate cytokine release from adipocytes and positively influence blood pressure in younger rats, but its physiological actions in older models with established hypertension and isomer-specific effects on adipocyte size remain to be determined. Therefore, we investigated the effects of CLA isomers on adipocyte size in relation to blood pressure and adipokine production by hypertrophic adipocytes in older fa/fa Zucker rats with established hypertension. fa/fa Zucker rats were fed with cis(c)9, trans(t)11-CLA or t10, c12-CLA isomers for 8 weeks and compared with lean and obese rats fed with the control diet. Blood pressure and adipocyte size were subsequently measured. Collagenase-isolated adipocytes were size-separated and angiotensinogen and adiponectin protein levels quantified by Western blotting. The t10, c12-CLA group had reduced blood pressure, fewer large adipocytes and increased serum adiponectin. Angiotensinogen was present at higher levels in the large adipocytes, whereas the converse was observed for adiponectin. The beneficial effects of the t10, c12-CLA isomer on blood pressure and adipocyte size in vivo may be due to its ability to reduce the number of large adipocytes, which alters the levels of vasoactive molecules secreted from adipose tissue" - See CLA products at iHerb.
• Feasibility and antihypertensive effect of replacing regular salt with mineral salt- rich in magnesium and potassium- in subjects with mildly elevated blood pressure - Nutr J. 2011 Sep 2;10(1):88 - "subjects consumed processed foods salted with either NaCl or Smart Salt ... 24-h dU-Na decreased significantly in the Smart Salt group (-29.8 mmol; p=0.012) and remained unchanged in the control group: resulting in a 3.3 g difference in NaCl intake between the groups. Replacement of NaCl with Smart Salt resulted in a significant reduction in SBP over 8 weeks (-7.5 mmHg; p=0.016). SBP increased (+3.8 mmHg, p=0.072) slightly in the Regular salt group" - See smartsalt.com.
• Natural therapies: Cardiologists examine alternatives to halt high blood pressure - Science Daily, 8/30/11 - "The shining star among supplements is coenzyme Q10, an enzyme involved in energy production that also acts as an antioxidant. Patients with hypertension tend to have lower levels of the enzyme, and a meta-analysis -- an overarching analysis of past studies -- found that treatment with coenzyme Q10 supplements significantly reduced blood pressure ... Coenzyme Q10 has a pretty profound effect on blood pressure, but whenever research is based on a collection of other data you have to have some skepticism ... potassium helps lower blood pressure, and there is evidence that increasing the amount of potassium we get through the foods we eat could carry some of the same mild benefits as taking supplements" - See coenzyme Q10 products at iHerb and potassium products at iHerb.
• Breakfast cereals and risk of hypertension in the Physicians' Health Study I - Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug 23 - "The average age of study participants was 52.4 ± 8.9 years (range 39.7-85.9) during the initial assessment of cereal intake (1981-1983). During a mean follow up of 16.3 years, 7267 cases of hypertension occurred. The crude incidence rates of hypertension were 36.7, 34.0, 31.7, and 29.6 cases/1000 person-years for people reporting breakfast cereal intake of 0, ≤1, 2-6, and ≥7 servings/week, respectively. In a Cox regression model adjusting for age, smoking, body mass index, alcohol consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and history of diabetes mellitus, hazard ratios (95% CI) for hypertension were 1.0 (reference), 0.93 (0.88-0.99), 0.88 (0.83-0.94), and 0.81 (0.75-0.86) from the lowest to the highest category of cereal consumption, respectively (p for trend <0.0001). This association was strongest for whole grain cereals and was observed in lean as well as overweight or obese participants"
• Antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of dietary black sesame meal in pre-hypertensive humans - Nutr J. 2011 Aug 9;10(1):82 - "Twenty-two women and eight men (aged 49.8 +/- 6.6 years) with prehypertension were randomly divided into two groups, 15 subjects per group. They ingested 2.52 g black sesame meal capsules or placebo capsules each day for 4 weeks ... malondialdehyde (MDA) ... The results showed that 4-week administration of black sesame meal significantly decreased systolic BP (129.3 +/- 6.8 vs. 121.0 +/- 9.0 mmHg, P < 0.05) and MDA level (1.8 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.6 micromol/L, P < 0.05), and increased vitamin E level (29.4 +/- 6.0 vs. 38.2 +/- 7.8 micromol/L, P < 0.01). In the black sesame meal group, the change in systolic BP tended to be positively related to the change in MDA (R = 0.50, P = 0.05), while the change in diastolic BP was negatively related to the change in vitamin E (R = -0.55, P <0.05)" - See sesame seed products at iHerb.  Note:  An 8.3 point drop in systolic seems impressive.  That's about what you get from medication plus it's systolic that most have a problem with.
• The effect of grape seed extract on cardiovascular risk markers: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Aug;111(8):1173-81 - "Upon meta-analysis, grape seed extract significantly lowered systolic blood pressure (weighted mean difference -1.54 mm Hg (95% confidence interval -2.85 to -0.22, P=0.02]), and heart rate (weighted mean difference -1.42 bpm (95% confidence interval -2.50 to -0.34, P=0.01]). No significant effect on diastolic blood pressure, lipid levels, or CRP was found. No statistical heterogeneity was observed for any analysis (I(2)<39% for all). Egger's weighted regression statistic suggested low likelihood of publication bias in all analysis (P>0.05 for all), except for the effect on diastolic blood pressure (P=0.046). Based on the currently available literature, grape seed extract appears to significantly lower systolic blood pressure and heart rate, with no effect on lipid or CRP levels" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95, 100 mg, 100 Capsules.
• Effect of Dietary Protein Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Randomized, Controlled Trial - Circulation. 2011 Jul 18 - "The trial participants were assigned to take 40 g/d soy protein, milk protein, or carbohydrate supplementation each for 8 weeks in a random order. A 3-week washout period was implemented between the interventions. Three BPs were measured at 2 baseline and 2 termination visits during each of 3 intervention phases with a random-zero sphygmomanometer. Compared with carbohydrate controls, soy protein and milk protein supplementations were significantly associated with -2.0 mm Hg (95% confidence interval -3.2 to -0.7 mm Hg, P=0.002) and -2.3 mm Hg (-3.7 to -1.0 mm Hg, P=0.0007) net changes in systolic BP, respectively. Diastolic BP was also reduced, but this change did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant difference in the BP reductions achieved between soy or milk protein supplementation"
• Pine bark extract plus CoQ10 shows benefits for heart failure patients - Nutra USA, 6/23/11 - "12 weeks of daily supplementation with 350 milligrams of CoQ10 (Kaneka) and 105 milligrams of the branded pine bark extract Pycnogenol ... recruited 53 heart failure patients aged between 54 and 68 were randomly assigned to receive either the PycnoQ10 supplement or placebo for 12 weeks ... systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased following the CoQ10-pine bark combination, from 139.2 to 133.2 mmHg and 82.3 to 77.3 mmHg, respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 140.3 to 139.5 mmHg and 83.4 to 81.2 mmHg, respectively, in the placebo group ... In addition to increases in the amount of blood pumped by the heart, the researchers also reported improvements in heart rate were also observed in the PycnoQ10 supplement group from 78.4 to 74.2 beats per minute, compared with a decrease from 79.1 to 78.4 in the placebo group" - [Abstract] - See Pine Bark/Pycnogenol products at iHerb and Jarrow Ubiquinol at iHerb.
• Sodium intake in men and potassium intake in women determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Japanese hypertensive patients: OMEGA Study - Hypertens Res. 2011 Jun 9 - "High sodium intake was significantly related to increased SBP (P=0.0003) and DBP (P=0.0130). Low potassium intake was significantly related to increased SBP (P=0.0057) and DBP (P=0.0005). Low soybean/fish intake was significantly related to increased SBP (P=0.0133). A significantly higher prevalence of MS was found in men in the highest quartile of sodium intake compared with the lower quartiles (P=0.0026) and in women in the lowest quartile of potassium intake compared with the higher quartiles (P=0.0038). A clear relation between dietary habits and blood pressure was found in Japanese hypertensive patients using a patient-administered questionnaire. Sodium and potassium intake affect MS prevalence. Dietary changes are warranted within hypertension treatment strategies"
• Vitamin D levels linked with health of blood vessels - Science Daily, 4/3/11 - "Forty-two study participants with vitamin D insufficiency whose levels later went back to normal had an average drop in blood pressure of 4.6 millimeters mercury" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Singing lowers patient's blood pressure prior to surgery, case study reports - Science Daily, 3/30/11 - "Upon admission to the hospital for surgery the patient's blood pressure was 160/90 mm Hg, controlled by her normal regimen of nifedipine and lisinopril. In the preoperative area, the woman's blood pressure increased to 240/120 mm Hg and persisted, requiring doctors to postpone surgery ... The patient asked doctors if she could sing, which the patient reported doing frequently to calm herself down and to help with sleeping. The medical team encouraged her to so, and after two songs checked her blood pressure which had lowered to 180/90 mm Hg. With continued singing for 20 minutes, the patient's blood pressure remained lower and persisted for several hours after. As instructed by doctors, the patient sang periodically through the night which kept her blood pressure at acceptable levels. The following morning, the woman was cleared for knee replacement surgery, which was successful and without complications" - See my Karaoke page and my Song Book Page.
• Physical activity decreases salt's effect on blood pressure, study finds - Science Daily, 3/23/11 - "Investigators compared study participants' blood pressure on two one-week diets, one low in sodium (3,000 mg/day) and the other high in sodium (18,000 mg/day) ... The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 1,500 mg/day of sodium ... Compared with the sedentary group, the odds of being salt-sensitive, adjusted for age and gender, fell: 10 percent in the next-to-lowest activity group ... 17 percent in the next-to-highest activity group ... 38 percent in the most active group"
• Olive leaf extract may help hypertension: Frutarom study - Nutra USA, 3/9/11 - "Olive leaf extract, at the dosage regimen of 500 mg twice daily, was similarly effective in lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressures in subjects with stage-1 hypertension as Captopril, given at its effective dose of 12.5–25 mg twice daily ... after eight weeks of treatment, both treatment groups experienced significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure from baseline. They added that such reductions were not significantly different between groups ... However, they reported that a significant reduction of triglyceride level was observed for the group receiving olive leaf extract, but not in Captopril group ... the anti-hypertensive activity “lies probably in its content of oleuropein acting synergistically with other active substances to exert both ACE inhibitory and calcium channel blocking activities."" - [Abstract] - See olive leaf extracts at iHerb.
• Olive (Olea europaea) leaf extract effective in patients with stage-1 hypertension: Comparison with Captopril - Phytomedicine. 2011 Feb 15;18(4):251-8 - "Mean SBP at baseline was 149.3±5.58mmHg in Olive group and 148.4±5.56mmHg in Captopril group; and mean DBPs were 93.9±4.51 and 93.8±4.88mmHg, respectively. After 8 weeks of treatment, both groups experienced a significant reduction of SBP as well as DBP from baseline; while such reductions were not significantly different between groups. Means of SBP reduction from baseline to the end of study were -11.5±8.5 and -13.7±7.6mmHg in Olive and Captopril groups, respectively; and those of DBP were -4.8±5.5 and -6.4±5.2mmHg, respectively. A significant reduction of triglyceride level was observed in Olive group, but not in Captopril group. In conclusion, Olive (Olea europaea) leaf extract, at the dosage regimen of 500mg twice daily, was similarly effective in lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressures in subjects with stage-1 hypertension as Captopril, given at its effective dose of 12.5-25mg twice daily" - See olive leaf extracts at iHerb.
• 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels and hypertension rates - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011 Mar;13(3):170-7 - "Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to cardiovascular disease and risk factors including hypertension ... Patients were categorized into quartiles according to 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels: ideal (≥40 ng/mL), adequate (30-39 ng/mL), deficient (15-29 ng/mL), and severely deficient (<15 ng/mL). Prevalence rates of hypertension and odds ratios were calculated for each 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartile, adjusting for age, sex, race, and renal insufficiency. A total of 2722 individuals met the inclusion criteria for the study. The overall prevalence of hypertension in the study population was 24%. Hypertension rates were 52%, 41%, 27%, and 20% in 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartiles <15 ng/mL, 15 to 29 ng/mL, 30 to 39 ng/mL, and ≥40 ng/mL, respectively (P<.001). Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for hypertension adjusting for age, sex, race, and renal insufficiency were 2.7 (1.4-5.2), 2.0 (1.5-2.6), and 1.3 (1.2-1.6) for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <15 ng/mL, 15 to 29 ng/mL, and 30 to 39 ng/mL, respectively, compared with the ≥40 ng/mL group. This study demonstrates increased rates of hypertension in individuals who tested for lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D starting at levels <40 ng/mL. This retrospective analysis raises the question of whether supplementing to optimal vitamin D levels can prevent or improve hypertension" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Sugar-sweetened drinks associated with higher blood pressure - Science Daily, 3/1/11 - "for every extra sugar-sweetened beverage drunk per day participants on average had significantly higher systolic blood pressure by 1.6 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure higher by 0.8 mm Hg ... They found no consistent association between diet soda intake and blood pressure levels. Those who drank diet soda had higher mean BMI than those who did not and lower levels of physical activity ... One possible mechanism for sugar-sweetened beverages and fructose increasing blood pressure levels is a resultant increase in the level of uric acid in the blood that may in turn lower the nitric oxide required to keep the blood vessels dilated. Sugar consumption also has been linked to enhanced sympathetic nervous system activity and sodium retention"
• Effect of soya protein on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials - Br J Nutr. 2011 Feb 23:1-10 - "Meta-analyses of twenty-seven RCT showed a mean decrease of 2·21 mmHg (95 % CI - 4·10, - 0·33; P = 0·021) for systolic BP (SBP) and 1·44 mmHg (95 % CI - 2·56, - 0·31; P = 0·012) for diastolic BP (DBP), comparing the participants in the soya protein group with those in the control group. Soya protein consumption significantly reduced SBP and DBP in both hypertensive and normotensive subjects, and the reductions were markedly greater in hypertensive subjects. Significant and greater BP reductions were also observed in trials using carbohydrate, but not milk products, as the control diet. Meta-regression analyses further revealed a significantly inverse association between pre-treatment BP and the level of BP reductions. In conclusion, soya protein intake, compared with a control diet, significantly reduces both SBP and DBP, but the BP reductions are related to pre-treatment BP levels of subjects and the type of control diet used as comparison"
• Effect of soy isoflavones on blood pressure: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Feb 8 - "A total of eleven trials were reviewed. Meta-analysis results showed a mean decrease of 2.5 mm Hg (95% CIs, - 5.35 to 0.34 mm Hg; P = 0.08) for systolic blood pressure and 1.5 mm Hg (95% CIs, - 3.09 to 0.17 mm Hg; P = 0.08) for diastolic blood pressure in the soy isoflavones-treated group compared to placebo. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses indicated that blood pressure status was a significant predictor of heterogeneity for the effect of soy isoflavones on blood pressure. Subgroup analysis of hypertensive subjects revealed that a greater blood pressure reduction was identified in the soy isoflavone-treated group compared to placebo (5 trials; SBP: - 5.94, 95% CIs [- 10.55, - 1.34] mm Hg, P = 0.01; DBP: - 3.35, 95% CIs [- 6.52, - 0.19] mm Hg, P = 0.04). In contrast, treatment with soy isoflavones did not lead to a significant reduction in blood pressure in normotensive subjects (6 trials; SBP: 0.29, 95% CIs [- 2.39, 2.97] mm Hg, P = 0.83; DBP: - 0.43, 95% CIs [- 1.66, 0.81] mm Hg, P = 0.50)" - See isoflavone products at iHerb.
• A systematic review and meta-analysis of elevated blood pressure and consumption of dairy foods - J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Feb 10 - "elevated blood pressure (EBP) ... Meta-analysis of consumption of dairy foods and EBP in adults gave a relative risk (RR) of 0.87 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81-0.94). Separation of high- and low-fat dairy foods, however, indicated a significant association with low-fat dairy foods only (RR of 0.84 (95% CI 0.74-0.95)). Additional analyses showed no association between EBP and cheese, although fluid dairy foods were significantly associated with a reduced development in EBP (RR of 0.92 (95% CI 0.87-0.98)). Little heterogeneity was observed among the data presented. This meta-analysis supports the inverse association between low-fat dairy foods and fluid dairy foods and risk of EBP"
• Polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and blood pressure in adolescents - J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Feb 10 - "systolic BP was inversely associated with intakes of polyunsaturated (b=-0.436, P<0.01), omega-3 (b=-2.47, P=0.02), omega-6 (b=-0.362, P=0.04) and long chain omega-3 fatty acids (b=-4.37, P=0.04) in boys. Diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure were inversely associated with intakes of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in boys (b=-3.93, P=0.01, b=-4.05, P=0.01, respectively). For specific long-chain omega-3s, significant inverse associations were observed between eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid, such as systolic BP decreasing by 4.7 mm Hg (95% CI -9.3 to -0.1) for a quarter gram increase in EPA, but no significant associations were observed with docosapentaenoic acid. No significant associations were observed in girls, or with the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Our results suggest that gender may moderate relationships between fatty acid intake and BP in adolescence" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb and Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• Taurine Prevents Hypertension and Increases Exercise Capacity in Rats With Fructose-Induced Hypertension - Am J Hypertens. 2011 Feb 3 - "Five groups of 15 Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated and designated as control, high fructose-fed (fructose), high fructose-fed plus exercise (FE), high fructose-fed plus 2% taurine supplement (FT) and high fructose-fed plus 2% taurine supplement and exercise (FET) groups ... Noninvasive SBP differed significantly (P < 0.001) from week 3, both noninvasive and invasive ABP increased significantly (P < 0.001), and exercise capacity significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in the fructose group compared with the control group. The individual effects of swimming and taurine supplementation were incapable of preventing the development of hypertension and SBP significantly (P < 0.001) increased in the FE and FT groups; exercise capacity in those groups remained similar to control. The combined effects of exercise and taurine alleviated hypertension and significantly increased exercise capacity in the FET group. Insulin resistance increased significantly and plasma nitric oxide (NO) decreased significantly in the F, FE, and FT groups. Both parameters remained similar to control values in the FET group with an increasing antioxidant activity. Conclusion Taurine supplementation in combination with exercise prevents hypertension and increases exercise capacity by possibly antioxidation and maintaining NO concentrations" - See taurine products at iHerb.
• Prediabetes and Prehypertension in Healthy Adults Are Associated With Low Vitamin D Levels - Diabetes Care. 2011 Jan 31 - "The odds ratio for comorbid PreDM and PreHTN in Caucasian men (n = 898) and women (n = 813) was 2.41 (P < 0.0001) with vitamin D levels ≤76.3 versus >76.3 nmol/L after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. CONCLUSIONS This study strengthens the plausibility that low serum vitamin D levels elevate the risk for early-stage diabetes (PreDM) and hypertension (PreHTN)" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• The association of serum potassium level with left ventricular mass in patients with primary aldosteronism - Eur J Clin Invest. 2011 Jan 21 - "Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated a worse cardiovascular outcome than essential hypertension. Hypokalemia, which is one major characteristic of PA, can affect both cardiac structure and function ... the control group (group 1). Thirty-two patients with serum potassium < 3·5 mmol L(-1) were defined as hypokalemia (group 2), and 53 patients with serum potassium ≥ 3·5 mmol L(-1) were defined as normokalemia (group 3) ... Group 2 patients had significant higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), log-transformed plasma aldosterone concentration, log-transformed aldosterone-to-renin ratio and lower serum potassium level than groups 1 and 3. In echocardiographic measurement, group 2 patients had higher LV mass index (LVMI) than groups 1 and 3. In multivariate analysis for factors affecting LVMI in PA patients, only serum potassium level (P = 0·001), use of spironolactone (P = 0·004) and DBP (P = 0·005) were independent factors. In the TDI study, both groups 2 and 3 had lower e' and E/e' values than group 1. Conclusions  Serum potassium level is significantly associated with LVMI in PA patients. Compared with essential hypertensive patients, PA patients had a greater impairment of cardiac diastolic function" - See potassium products at iHerb.
• Bioactive compounds in berries can reduce high blood pressure - Science Daily, 1/14/11 - "bioactive compounds in blueberries called anthocyanins offer protection against hypertension. Compared with those who do not eat blueberries, those eating at least one serving a week reduce their risk of developing the condition by 10 per cent" - See blueberry extracts at iHerb.
• Three Whole-Grain Portions Daily May Lower Cardiovascular Risk - Medscape, 1/4/11 - "Daily consumption of 3 portions of whole-grain foods (WGF) is linked to lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in healthy, middle-aged people mainly by lowering blood pressure (BP) ... assigned to continue the refined diet (control) or to switch to a whole-wheat diet or to a whole-wheat plus oat diet, for 12 weeks ... Compared with the control group, the WGF groups had a significant reduction in systolic BP (6 mm Hg) and a significant reduction (3 mm Hg) in pulse pressure ... The observed decrease in systolic blood pressure could decrease the incidence of coronary artery disease and stroke by ≥ 15% and 25%, respectively"
• Blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and hypertension: a meta-analysis - J Hypertens. 2010 Dec 28 - "Of the 18 studies included in the meta-analysis, 4 were prospective studies and 14 were cross-sectional studies. The pooled odds ratio of hypertension was 0.73 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63-0.84] for the highest versus the lowest category of blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. In a dose-response meta-analysis, the odds ratio for a 40 nmol/l (16 ng/ml) (approximately 2 SDs) increment in blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 0.84 (95% CI 0.78-0.90)" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Protective effect of lycopene on serum cholesterol and blood pressure: Meta-analyses of intervention trials - Maturitas. 2010 Dec 14 - "Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes ... Meta-analysis of the effect of lycopene on systolic blood pressure of all trials suggested a significant blood pressure reducing effect (mean systolic blood pressure change±SE: -5.60±5.26mm Hg, p=0.04) ... Our meta-analysis suggests that lycopene taken in doses ≥25mg daily is effective in reducing LDL cholesterol by about 10% which is comparable to the effect of low doses of statins in patient with slightly elevated cholesterol levels" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at iHerb.
• Orange juice flavanone may benefit heart health: Study - Nutra USA, 12/17/10 - "The researchers reported that blood pressure was significantly lowered after 4 weeks consumption of orange juice or a hesperidin rich drink when compared to a placebo drink" - [Abstract] - See hesperidin products at iHerb.
• Lifetime Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity in Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study - Circulation. 2010 Nov 29 - "Vegetable consumption in childhood was inversely associated with adulthood PWV (β=-0.06, P=0.02), and this association remained significant (β=-0.07, P=0.004) when adjusted for traditional risk factors (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, and smoking). Vegetable consumption was also an independent predictor of PWV in adulthood when adjusted for lifestyle or traditional risk factors (β=-0.08, P=0.002 and β=-0.07, P=0.0007, respectively). Persistently high consumption of both fruits and vegetables from childhood to adulthood was associated with lower PWV compared with persistently low consumption (P=0.03 for both). The number of lifestyle risk factors (the lowest quintile for vegetable consumption, fruit consumption, physical activity, and smoking) in childhood was directly associated with PWV in adulthood (P=0.001). This association remained significant when adjusted for the number of lifestyle risk factors in adulthood ... lifetime lifestyle risk factors, with low consumption of fruits and vegetables in particular, are related to arterial stiffness in young adulthood"
• The effects of tomato consumption on serum glucose, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I, homocysteine and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2010 Dec 8 - "32 type 2 diabetes patients received 200 g raw tomato daily for 8 weeks ... There were significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and also a significant increase in apoA-I at the end of study compared with initial values"
• Whey supplements lower blood pressure: Low-cost protein gets big results in people with elevated blood pressure - Science Daily, 12/8/10 - "Beverages supplemented by whey-based protein can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease ... daily doses of commonly available whey brought a more than six-point reduction in the average blood pressure of men and women with elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressures ... blood-pressure reductions like those seen by Fluegel can reduce cardiovascular disease and bring a 35 to 40 percent reduction in fatal strokes" - See whey products at iHerb.
• Role of vitamin D in arterial hypertension - Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2010 Nov;8(11):1599-608 - "Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and may contribute to arterial hypertension. The antihypertensive effects of vitamin D include suppression of renin and parathyroid hormone levels and renoprotective, anti-inflammatory and vasculoprotective properties. Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, which are used to classify the vitamin D status, are an independent risk factor for incident arterial hypertension. Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials showed that vitamin D supplementation reduces systolic blood pressure by 2-6 mmHg ... vitamin D might be useful for the treatment of arterial hypertension as well as other chronic diseases. Therefore, we recommend that testing for and treating vitamin D deficiency in patients with arterial hypertension should be seriously considered" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Greater Coffee Intake in Men Is Associated With Steeper Age-Related Increases in Blood Pressure - Am J Hypertens. 2010 Nov 18 - "Greater coffee intake in men was associated with steeper age-related increases in SBP and pulse pressure, particularly beyond 70 years of age and in overweight to obese men"
• Blueberries linked to improved blood vessel health: Rat study - Nutra USA, 11/18/10 - "Our data provide clear evidence that the 8 week dietary treatment with 8 percent wild blueberry in the adult SHR with established endothelial dysfunction results in a significant moderation of the increased aortic vascular tone ... The berries were proposed to act via the NO pathway – nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator, or compound that promotes the dilation or relaxation of blood vessels, thereby easing blood pressure" - [Abstract] - See blueberry extracts at iHerb.
• A Wild Blueberry-Enriched Diet ( Vaccinium angustifolium ) Improves Vascular Tone in the Adult Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat - J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Nov 24 - "The vasoconstriction elicited by Phe was reduced in the WB group, attributed to the NO pathway, favoring a lower vascular tone under basal conditions. Acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation in the WB group was possibly mediated through the COX, but not the NO pathway. These findings document the potential of wild blueberries to modify major pathways of vasomotor control and improve the vascular tone in the adult SHR with endothelial dysfunction" - See blueberry extracts at iHerb.
• Aged garlic shows blood pressure improvement benefits: Study - Nutra USA, 11/17/10 - "an aged garlic extract may reduce systolic blood pressure by 10.2 mmHg ... the benefits were only observed in people with initial systolic pressure (SBP) of 140 mmHg or over, and that no effects were observed in people with lower SBP ... aged garlic extract of 3.84 grams (Kyolic, Garlic High Potency Everyday Formula 112, Wakunga/Wagner) or placebo for 12 weeks ... Results showed a “marked difference” between the garlic and control groups in subjects with ‘uncontrolled hypertension’" - [Abstract] - See garlic products at iHerb.
• Aged garlic extract lowers blood pressure in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension: a randomised controlled trial - Maturitas. 2010 Oct;67(2):144-50 - "In patients with uncontrolled hypertension (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg at baseline), systolic blood pressure was on average 10.2 ± 4.3 mmHg (p=0.03) lower in the garlic group compared with controls over the 12-week treatment period. Changes in blood pressure between the groups were not significant in patients with SBP<140 mmHg at baseline. Aged garlic extract was generally well tolerated and acceptability of trial treatment was high (92%)" - See garlic products at iHerb.
• Why chocolate protects against heart disease - Science Daily, 11/10/10 - "ate 75 grams of unsweetened chocolate with a cocoa content of 72 percent. To analyze what happened with the ACE enzyme, blood samples were taken in advance and then a half hour, one hour, and three hours afterward ... In the sample taken three hours afterward, there was a significant inhibition of ACE activity. The average was 18 percent lower activity than before the dose of cocoa, fully comparable to the effect of drugs that inhibit ACE and are used as a first-choice treatment for high blood pressure"
• Low serum magnesium concentrations predict increase in left ventricular mass over 5 years independently of common cardiovascular risk factors - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Sep 21 - "Mg(2+) at baseline (0.790±0.003mmol/l, mean±SEM) inversely correlated with the difference in LVM over 5 years (p<0.0001, females: p<0.002, males: p<0.024). In the lowest Mg(2+)-quintile (Mg(2+)<=0.73mmol/l), LVM (187.4±3.1g at baseline) increased by 14.9±1.2g, while in the highest Mg(2+)-quintile (Mg(2+)>=0.85mmol/l) LVM (186.7±3.4g at baseline) decreased by -0.5±2.8g (p<0.0001 between quintiles). By multivariable analysis including several cardiovascular risk factors and antihypertensive treatment, serum Mg(2+) was associated with the increase in LVM at a statistically high significant level (p<0.0001). LVM after 5 years was significantly higher in subjects within the lower Mg(2+)-quintiles. This association remained highly significant after adjustment for several cardiovascular risk factors including arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus" - See Jarrow Formulas, Magnesium Optimizer Citrate, 100 Easy-Solv Tablets at iHerb.
• Consumption of 'good salt' can reduce population blood pressure levels, research finds - Science Daily, 9/13/10 - "the average potassium intake in 21 countries including the US, China, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands varies between 1.7 and 3.7 g a day. This is considerably lower than the 4.7 g a day, which has been recommended based on the positive health effects observed at this level of intake ... A hypothetical increase in the potassium intake to the recommended level would reduce the systolic blood pressure in the populations of these countries by between 1.7 and 3.2 mm Hg ... Earlier studies have shown that salt reduction of 3 g per day in food could reduce blood pressure and prevent 2500 deaths per year due to cardiovascular diseases in the Netherlands. In Western countries, salt consumption can be as high as 9-12 g a day whereas 5 g is the recommended amount according to WHO standards"
• Effects of myo-inositol supplementation in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome: a perspective, randomized, placebo-controlled study - Menopause. 2010 Aug 31 - "Myo-inositol plus diet improved systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HOMA index, cholesterol, and triglyceride serum levels with highly significant differences, compared with the groups treated only with diet and placebo. In the group treated with myo-inositol, a decrease in diastolic blood pressure (-11%), HOMA index (-75%), and serum triglycerides (-20%) and an improvement in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (22%) were shown ... CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with myo-inositol may be considered a reliable option in the treatment of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women" - Note:  See raysahelian.com/inositol.html  and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inositol which claim myo-inositol and inositol are the same.  See inositol products at iHerb.
• Effect of increased consumption of whole-grain foods on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk markers in healthy middle-aged persons: a randomized controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug 4 - "randomly allocated volunteers to a control (refined diet), wheat, or wheat + oats group for 12 w ... Systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly reduced by 6 and 3 mm Hg, respectively, in the whole-grain foods groups compared with the control group ... Daily consumption of 3 portions of whole-grain foods can significantly reduce cardiovascular disease risk in middle-aged people mainly through blood pressure-lowering mechanisms. The observed decrease in systolic blood pressure could decrease the incidence of coronary artery disease and stroke by ge 15% and 25%, respectively"
• Acute resveratrol supplementation improves flow-mediated dilatation in overweight/obese individuals with mildly elevated blood pressure - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Jul 29 - "Flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery (FMD) is a biomarker of endothelial function and cardiovascular health. Impaired FMD is associated with several cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension and obesity. Various food ingredients such as polyphenols have been shown to improve FMD ... One hour after consumption of the supplement, plasma resveratrol and FMD were measured. Data were analyzed by linear regression versus log(10) dose of resveratrol. 14 men and 5 women (age 55 +/- 2 years, BMI 28.7 +/- 0.5 kg m(-2), BP 141 +/- 2/89 +/- 1 mmHg) completed this study. There was a significant dose effect of resveratrol on plasma resveratrol concentration (P < 0.001) and on FMD (P < 0.01), which increased from 4.1 +/- 0.8% (placebo) to 7.7 +/- 1.5% after 270 mg resveratrol. FMD was also linearly related to log(10) plasma resveratrol concentration" - See Jarrow Resveratrol 100 at iHerb.
• Chili peppers may come with blood pressure benefits - Science Daily, 8/3/10 - "We found that long-term dietary consumption of capsaicin, one of the most abundant components in chili peppers, could reduce blood pressure in genetically hypertensive rats" - See capsaicin products at iHerb.
• Blueberries Decrease Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Obese Men and Women with Metabolic Syndrome - J Nutr. 2010 Jul 21 - "The decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures were greater in the blueberry-supplemented group (-6 and -4%, respectively) than in controls (-1.5 and -1.2%) (P < 0.05)" - See blueberry extracts at iHerb.
• Fitness, Fatness, and Blood Pressure - Medscape, 7/19/10 - "In this cohort, consisting mainly of white men (average age, 46 years), normal-weight individuals had a mean systolic blood pressure 12 mm Hg lower than obese individuals (115 vs 127 mm Hg, p<0.001). In contrast, individuals with high levels of fitness, those in the highest quartile, had a 6 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure than those least fit (119 vs 125 mm Hg, p<0.001)"
• Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Blood Pressure - South Med J. 2010 Jul 8 - "From 244 retrieved papers, four RCTs involving 429 participants met our inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Vitamin D supplementation reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 2.44 mm Hg (weighted mean difference [WMD]: -2.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.86, -0.02), but not diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: -0.02, 95% CI: -4.04, 4.01) compared with calcium or placebo. Subgroup analysis suggested that the change of blood pressure did not vary markedly across the dose of vitamin D supplementation, study length, or intervention. CONCLUSIONS:: Oral vitamin D supplementation may lead to a reduction in systolic blood pressure but not diastolic blood pressure" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Cocoa flavanols improve vascular and blood pressure measures for coronary artery disease patients - Science Daily, 7/6/10 - "The findings indicate that foods rich in flavanols -- such as cocoa products, tea, wine, and various fruits and vegetables -- have a cardio-protective benefit for heart disease patients ... The study found a protective effect from a cocoa drink with 375 mg of flavanols, but according to researchers, a standard or recommended dosage has not yet been defined to achieve optimal health benefit ... In the current study, the benefit seen from the two-fold increase in circulating angiogenic cells was similar to that achieved by therapy with statins and with lifestyle changes such as exercise and smoking cessation"
• Aged garlic extract lowers blood pressure in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension: A randomised controlled trial - Maturitas. 2010 Jun 29 - "In patients with uncontrolled hypertension (SBP>/=140mmHg at baseline), systolic blood pressure was on average 10.2+/-4.3mmHg (p=0.03) lower in the garlic group compared with controls over the 12-week treatment period. Changes in blood pressure between the groups were not significant in patients with SBP<140mmHg at baseline. Aged garlic extract was generally well tolerated and acceptability of trial treatment was high (92%). CONCLUSION: Our trial suggests that aged garlic extract is superior to placebo in lowering systolic blood pressure similarly to current first line medications in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension" - See garlic products at iHerb.
• Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, research finds - Science Daily, 6/28/10 - "Flavanols have been shown to increase the formation of endothelial nitric oxide, which promotes vasodilation and consequently may lower blood pressure. There have, however, been conflicting results as to the real-life effects of eating chocolate. We've found that consumption can significantly, albeit modestly, reduce blood pressure for people with high blood pressure but not for people with normal blood pressure ... The pressure reduction seen in the combined results for people with hypertension, 5mm Hg systolic, may be clinically relevant -- it is comparable to the known effects of 30 daily minutes of physical activity (4-9mm Hg) and could theoretically reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event by about 20% over five years" - See flavonoid products at iHerb.
• Low calcium intake linked with increased risk of osteoporosis and hypertension in postmenopausal women - Science Daily, 6/18/10 - "a significantly increased proportion of women (35.4%) who consumed a lower amount of calcium through intake from dairy sources, had a concurrent diagnosis of both hypertension and osteoporosis, compared with women who consumed a higher amount of calcium (19.3% p<0.001) ... Further statistical analyses revealed that a lower calcium intake was associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension or osteoporosis over time when compared with controls (Odds Ratio (OR) hypertension: 1.43; 95%CI: 1.12-1.82, osteoporosis: OR 1.46; CI: 1.15-1.85). Women who consumed a lower amount of calcium were shown to be most likely to develop both conditions over time compared with women consuming a higher amount of calcium (OR 1.60; CI: 1.09-2.34)"
• Drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages may lower blood pressure - Science Daily, 5/24/10 - ""Our findings suggest that reducing sugar-sweetened beverages and sugar consumption may be an important dietary strategy to lower blood pressure and further reduce other blood pressure-related diseases," Chen said. "It has been estimated that a 3-millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) reduction in systolic blood pressure should reduce stroke mortality by 8 percent and coronary heart disease mortality by 5 percent. Such reductions in systolic blood pressure would be anticipated by reducing sugar-sweetened beverages consumption by an average of 2 servings per day ... a reduction of one serving/day of SSB was associated with a 1.8 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) drop in systolic pressure and a 1.1 mm Hg decline in diastolic pressure over 18 months"
• Arterial Stiffness and Wave Reflections in Marathon Runners - Am J Hypertens. 2010 May 20 - "Marathon runners had significantly higher systolic, diastolic, pulse (both aortic and brachial), and mean pressures compared to controls (P < 0.05 for all). Marathon runners had significantly higher PWV (6.89 m/s vs. 6.33 m/s, P < 0.01), whereas there was no difference in AIx and AIx corrected for heart rate (AIx@75) compared to controls (13.8% vs. 13.9%, P = 0.985 and 8.2% vs. 10.3%, P = 0.340, respectively). Marathon race caused a significant fall in both AIx (12.2% vs. -5.8%, P < 0.001) and AIx@75 (7.0% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.01), whereas PWV did not change significantly (6.66 m/s vs. 6.74 m/s, P = 0.690). Aortic and brachial systolic, diastolic, and mean pressures were also decreased (P < 0.05).Conclusions A significant fall in wave reflections was observed after marathon race, whereas aortic stiffness was not altered. Moreover, marathon runners have increased aortic stiffness and pressures, whereas wave reflections indexes do not differ compared to controls"
• Grapes reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, animal study shows - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "After three months, the rats that received the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and reduced indicators of inflammation in the heart and the blood than rats who received no grape powder. Rats also had lower triglycerides and improved glucose tolerance" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95, 100 mg, 100 Capsules.
• Effects of continuous vs. interval exercise training on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in treated hypertension - Hypertens Res. 2010 Apr 9 - "Continuous and interval exercise training were beneficial for blood pressure control, but only interval training reduced arterial stiffness in treated hypertensive subjects"
• Brown rice and cardiovascular protection -Science Daily, 4/26/10 - "brown rice might have an advantage over white rice by offering protection from high blood pressure and atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries") ... a component in a layer of tissue surrounding grains of brown rice may work against angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is an endocrine protein and a known culprit in the development of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis"
• Pine bark extract may benefit blood pressure-related kidney health - Nutra USA, 3/5/10 - "55 hypertensive patients to participate in the randomized, controlled study. Subjects were assigned to receive Ramipril [an ACE inhibitor] (10 mg per day), and 29 of these people were randomly selected to also receive Pycnogenol (150 mg per day) ... After six months in the Ramipril-only group the albumin levels decreased by 26 per cent to 64 mg per 24-hour period, while additional Pycnogenol produced levels that averaged 39 mg per 24-hour period, equivalent to a 57 per cent decrease ... Statistically significant decreases in patients’ blood pressure were also observed, with systolic and diastolic blood pressures dropping by more than 30 and 8 per cent, respectively in the Ramipril-only group, and by a further 3 to 6 per cent in the combination group ... Diastolic and systolic blood flow improved by 8 and 12 per cent, in the combination group" - [Abstract] - See Pine Bark/Pycnogenol products at iHerb.
• Kidney flow and function in hypertension: protective effects of pycnogenol in hypertensive participants--a controlled study - J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 2010 Mar;15(1):41-6 - "evaluated the effects of Pycnogenol as an adjunct to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor ramipril treatment of hypertensive patients presenting with early signs of renal function problems. One group of 26 patients was medicated with 10 mg ramipril per day only; a second group of 29 patients took Pycnogenol in addition to the ACE inhibitor over a period of 6 months ... Urinary albumin decreased from 87 +/- 23 to 64 +/- 16 mg/d with ramipril only. Additional Pycnogenol lowered albumin significantly better from 91 +/- 25 to 39 +/- 13 mg/day (P < .05). In both groups, serum creatinine was lowered; however, only in the combination treatment group did the effect reached statistical significance. In both groups, CRP levels decreased from 2.1 to 1.8 with ramipril and from 2.2 to 1.1 with the ramipril-Pycnogenol combination; the latter reached statistical significance. Kidney cortical flow velocity was investigated by Doppler color duplex ultrasonography. Both systolic and diastolic flow velocities increased significantly after 6 months medication with ramipril. The addition of Pycnogenol to the regimen statistically significantly further enhanced kidney cortical flow velocities, by 8% for diastolic flow and 12% for systolic flow, relative to values found for the group taking ramipril only" - See Pine Bark/Pycnogenol products at iHerb.
• Total polyphenol excretion and blood pressure in subjects at high cardiovascular risk - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Feb 16 - "Participants in the highest quartile of urinary TPE had a reduced prevalence of hypertension compared to those in the lowest quartile (Odds Ratio=0.64; 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 0.92; P=0.015). Systolic and diastolic BP were inversely associated with urinary TPE after adjustment for potential confounders ... Polyphenol intake, assessed via TPE in urine, was negatively associated with BP levels and prevalence of hypertension in an elderly Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. Participants with the highest intake of polyphenol-rich foods showed the lowest BP measurements"
• Low-Carb Diet Lowers Blood Pressure - WebMD, 1/25/10
• Urinary melatonin and risk of incident hypertension among young women J Hypertens. 2010 Jan 19 - "During 8 years of follow-up, a total of 125 women developed hypertension. The relative risk for incident hypertension among women in the highest quartile of urinary melatonin (>27.0 ng/mg creatinine) as compared with the lowest quartile (<10.1 ng/mg creatinine) was 0.49 (95% confidence interval 0.28-0.85, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: First morning melatonin levels are independently and inversely associated with incident hypertension; low melatonin production may be a pathophysiologic factor in the development of hypertension" - See melatonin products at iHerb.
• High Fructose Intake Linked to Metabolic Syndrome, Kidney Disease - Science Daily, 1/14/10 - "men who were randomized to receive 200 g fructose daily for 2 weeks without or without allopurinol ... Fructose intake was associated with an average increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 7 and 5 mm Hg, respectively ... Mean fasting triglyceride levels rose by 0.62 mmol/L (p < 0.002), while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels fell by 0.06 mmol/L ... the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased by 25% to 33%"
• Resveratrol Prevents the Development of Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy and Contractile Dysfunction in the SHR Without Lowering Blood Pressure - Am J Hypertens. 2009 Nov 26 - "Resveratrol treatment significantly prevented the development of concentric hypertrophy, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction in SHR without lowering blood pressure. Resveratrol also significantly reduced the oxidative stress levels of cardiac tissue in SHR.ConclusionsResveratrol treatment was beneficial in preventing the development of concentric hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction in SHR. The cardioprotective effect of resveratrol in SHR may be partially mediated by a reduction in oxidative stress. Thus, resveratrol may have potential in preventing cardiac impairment in patients with essential hypertension" - See Jarrow Resveratrol 100 at iHerb.

• Artificial Sweetener May Lower Blood Pressure - WebMD, 11/20/09 - "Systolic blood pressure dropped an average of 6.9 points in the OFS group, compared with 3.5 in the placebo group ... Diastolic blood pressure decreased an average of 7.3 points in the OFS group vs. 2.3 in the placebo group ... Levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein ( LDL or “bad” cholesterol), and triglycerides also dropped more in participants given OFS than in those who took placebo tablets" - See:

  • Fructooligosaccharide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - "Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) also sometimes called oligofructose or oligofructan, is a class of oligosaccharides used as an artificial or alternative sweetener. FOS exhibits sweetness levels between 30 and 50 percent of sugar in commercially-prepared syrups. [1] Its use emerged in the 1980s in response to consumer demand for healthier and calorie-reduced foods. The term oligosaccharide refers to a short chain of sugar molecules (in the case of FOS, fructose molecules). Oligo means few, and saccharide means sugar"
  • See Jarrow Formulas, InulinFos, 180 g Powder at iHerb.
• Low Total and Nonheme Iron Intakes Are Associated with a Greater Risk of Hypertension - J Nutr. 2009 Nov 18 - "Low nonheme iron intake at baseline was associated with a greater increase in systolic BP (SBP) and pulse pressure over time after adjustment for multiple possible confounding factors (P-trend = 0.002 and 0.0005, respectively). Conversely, participants in the 3rd tertile of nonheme iron intake at baseline had a 37% lower risk of hypertension after 5.4 y of follow-up compared with those in the first tertile (P-trend = 0.04). Heme iron intake was not associated with BP changes or risk of hypertension. Meat intake was positively associated with an increase in SBP (P-trend = 0.04). However, that relation became nonsignificant after adjusting for dietary pattern scores. Baseline hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations were not associated with changes in BP or incidental hypertension. Our data support a possible role of low nonheme iron intake, independent of heme iron intake, in the development of hypertension"
• High Fructose Corn Syrup: A Recipe For Hypertension, Study Finds - Science Daily, 11/10/09 - "people who ate or drank more than 74 grams per day of fructose (2.5 sugary soft drinks per day) increased their risk of developing hypertension. Specifically, a diet of more than 74 grams per day of fructose led to a 28%, 36%, and 87% higher risk for blood pressure levels of 135/85, 140/90, and 160/100 mmHg, respectively. (A normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80 mmHg.)"
• High Fructose Intake May Raise Blood Pressure - WebMD, 11/2/09 - "About 2.5 sugary soft drinks a day is enough to elevate the pressure ... Overall, intakes of 74 grams or more daily was associated with a 36% higher risk of having blood pressure of 140/90 or higher, she found. Ideally, blood pressure should be below 120/80 ... ''We know that fructose has the potential to reduce nitric oxide production within the blood vessels,'' she says. "Nitric oxide relaxes the vessel and is supposed to lower blood pressure. Fructose reduces the production of nitric oxide and makes it difficult for the vessels to relax and dilate." ... Fructose also raises uric acid in the blood, she says, and that could raise blood pressure. "Fructose can tell the kidneys to 'hold onto' more salt, and that can contribute to high blood pressure,""
• Oral L-Citrulline Supplementation Attenuates Blood Pressure Response to Cold Pressor Test in Young Men - Am J Hypertens. 2009 Oct 22 - "Compared to placebo, oral L-citrulline treatment decreased (P < 0.05) brachial SBP (-6 +/- 11 mm Hg), aortic SBP (-4 +/- 10 mm Hg), and aortic PP (-3 +/- 6 mm Hg) during CPT but not at rest. There was an inverse correlation (r = -0.40, P < 0.05) between changes in aortic SBP and Tr during CPT after L-citrulline supplementation" - See L-citrulline products at iHerb.
• Antioxidant Treatment With Tempol and Apocynin Prevents Endothelial Dysfunction and Development of Renovascular Hypertension - Am J Hypertens. 2009 Sep 24 - "The data suggest that a compromised mechanism of antioxidant defense and an increase in oxidative damage contribute to the development of hypertension and associated vascular dysfunction in 2K-1C rats, and that tempol and apocynin prevent these effects"
• Does Vitamin D Protect Against High BP? - WebMD, 9/24/09 - "Vitamin D deficiency earlier in life appeared to be a predictor of hypertension more than a decade later" - See Vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Insomnia Is Bad For The Heart; Increases Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 9/4/09 - "A new study published in the journal Sleep has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems"
• Effect of melatonin, captopril, spironolactone and simvastatin on blood pressure and left ventricular remodelling in spontaneously hypertensive rats - J Hypertens. 2009 Aug;27 Suppl 6:S5-10 - "It is concluded that although melatonin, in comparison with captopril, did not reverse left ventricle hypertrophy, it reversed left ventricular fibrosis. This protection by melatonin may be caused by its prominent antioxidative effect" - See melatonin products at iHerb.
• The circadian melatonin rhythm and its modulation: possible impact on hypertension - J Hypertens. 2009 Aug;27 Suppl 6:S17-20 - "The chronic administration of melatonin to individuals with hypertension induces a measurable drop in night time systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Moreover, the higher the night time level of endogenous melatonin (estimated from urinary metabolite of melatonin, 6-hydroxymelatonin sulphate), the greater the reduction in arterial blood pressure at night. The implication of these findings is that melatonin may have utility as an antihypertensive agent" - See melatonin products at iHerb.
• Omega-3 fatty acid supplements improve the cardiovascular risk profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome, including markers of inflammation and auto-immunity - Acta Cardiol. 2009 Jun;64(3):321-7 - "were given 1 gram of fish oil as a single capsule, containing 180 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 120 mg docosahexaenoic acid daily for 6 months. Control subjects did not receive any supplementation over the same period. RESULTS: The study was completed by 47 subjects in the intervention group and 42 subjects in the control group. Treatment with omega 3 supplements was associated with a significant fall in body weight (P < 0.05), systolic blood pressures (P < 0.05), serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.05), and total cholesterol (P < 0.05), triglycerides (P < 0.05), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (P < 0.01), and Hsp27 antibody titres (P < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the control group. CONCLUSION: It appears that omega 3 improves the cardiovascular risk profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome, having effects on weight, systolic blood pressure, lipid profile and markers of inflammation and autoimmunity" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb and Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• Ameliorating Hypertension and Insulin Resistance in Subjects at Increased Cardiovascular Risk. Effects of Acetyl-L-Carnitine Therapy - Hypertension. 2009 Jul 20 - "glucose disposal rate (GDR) ... Systolic blood pressure decreased from 144.0+/-13.6 to 135.1+/-8.4 mm Hg and from 130.8+/-12.4 to 123.8+/-10.8 mm Hg in the lower and higher GDR groups, respectively (P<0.05 for both; P<0.001 overall) and progressively recovered toward baseline over 8 weeks posttreatment. Total and high molecular weight adiponectin levels followed specular trends. Diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased only in those with higher GDRs. Treatment was well tolerated in all of the patients. Acetyl-L-carnitine safely ameliorated arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and hypoadiponectinemia in subjects at increased cardiovascular risk" - See acetyl-l-carnitine products at iHerb.
• Oral Magnesium Supplementation Reduces Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Patients With Mild Hypertension - Am J Hypertens. 2009 Jul 16 - "In the Mg(2+) supplementation group, small but significant reductions in mean 24-h systolic and diastolic BP levels were observed, in contrast to control group (-5.6 +/- 2.7 vs. -1.3 +/- 2.4 mm Hg, P < 0.001 and -2.8 +/- 1.8 vs. -1 +/- 1.2 mm Hg, P = 0.002, respectively)" - See magnesium products at iHerb.
• Cut Hypertension Drugs With Low-Salt Diet - WebMD, 7/21/09
• Glutamic Acid, the Main Dietary Amino Acid, and Blood Pressure. The INTERMAP Study (International Collaborative Study of Macronutrients, Micronutrients and Blood Pressure) - Circulation. 2009 Jul 6 - "Dietary glutamic acid (percentage of total protein intake) was inversely related to BP. Across multivariate regression models (model 1, which controlled for age, gender, and sample, through model 5, which controlled for 16 possible nonnutrient and nutrient confounders), estimated average BP differences associated with a glutamic acid intake that was higher by 4.72% of total dietary protein (2 SD) were -1.5 to -3.0 mm Hg systolic and -1.0 to -1.6 mm Hg diastolic (z scores -2.15 to -5.11)" - See l-glutamic acid products at iHerb.
• Component Of Vegetable Protein May Be Linked To Lower Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 7/6/09 - "Researchers found that a 4.72 percent higher dietary intake of the amino acid glutamic acid as a percent of total dietary protein correlated with lower group average systolic blood pressure, lower by 1.5 to 3.0 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Group average diastolic blood pressure was lower by 1.0 to 1.6 mm Hg" - See l-glutamic acid products at iHerb.
• Whole grains and incident hypertension in men - Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jul 1 - "whole-grain intake was inversely associated with risk of hypertension, with a relative risk (RR) of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.75-0.87) in the highest compared with the lowest quintile (P for trend < 0.0001). In the multivariate model, total bran was inversely associated with hypertension, with a relative risk (RR) of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.92) in the highest compared with the lowest quintile"
• Too little sleep may raise blood pressure - MSNBC, 6/9/09 - "The study ... found missing an average one hour of sleep over five years raised the risk of developing high blood pressure by 37 percent"
• Omega-3 may improve blood pressure during weight loss - Nutra USA, 6/2/09 - "Consumption of fatty fish like salmon, or fish oil supplements, may reduce blood pressure during an energy-restricted diet" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb and Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• Magnesium may benefit blood pressure in hypertensives - Nutra USA, 5/19/09 - "receive either daily supplements of 300 mg of elemental magnesium in the magnesium oxide form or placebo for 12 weeks ... At the end of the study, no significant differences were observed between the magnesium or placebo groups. However, when the researchers looked specifically at hypertensives, significant decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed in the magnesium group (17.1 and 3.4 mmHg, respectively), compared to placebo (6.7 and 0.8 mmHg, respectively)" - [Abstract] - See Magnesium products at iHerb.
• Effects of oral magnesium supplementation on insulin sensitivity and blood pressure in normo-magnesemic nondiabetic overweight Korean adults - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009 Apr 7 - "These results suggested that magnesium supplementation does not reduce BP and enhance insulin sensitivity in normo-magnesemic nondiabetic overweight people. However, it appears that magnesium supplementation may lower BP in healthy adults with higher BP" - See Magnesium products at iHerb.
• Quercetin reduces systolic blood pressure and plasma oxidised low-density lipoprotein concentrations in overweight subjects with a high-cardiovascular disease risk phenotype: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over study - Br J Nutr. 2009 Apr 30:1-10 - "Subjects were randomised to receive 150 mg quercetin/d in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over trial with 6-week treatment periods separated by a 5-week washout period. Mean fasting plasma quercetin concentrations increased from 71 to 269 nmol/l (P < 0.001) during quercetin treatment. In contrast to placebo, quercetin decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 2.6 mmHg (P < 0.01) in the entire study group, by 2.9 mmHg (P < 0.01) in the subgroup of hypertensive subjects and by 3.7 mmHg (P < 0.001) in the subgroup of younger adults aged 25-50 years. Quercetin decreased serum HDL-cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.001), while total cholesterol, TAG and the LDL:HDL-cholesterol and TAG:HDL-cholesterol ratios were unaltered. Quercetin significantly decreased plasma concentrations of atherogenic oxidised LDL, but did not affect TNF-alpha and C-reactive protein when compared with placebo ... Blood parameters of liver and kidney function, haematology and serum electrolytes did not reveal any adverse effects of quercetin. In conclusion, quercetin reduced SBP and plasma oxidised LDL concentrations in overweight subjects with a high-CVD risk phenotype. Our findings provide further evidence that quercetin may provide protection against CVD" - See Quercetin products at iHerb.
• Time-released garlic powder tablets lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in men with mild and moderate arterial hypertension - Hypertens Res. 2009 Apr 24 - "hypotensive action of time-released garlic powder tablets (Allicor) was compared with that of regular garlic pills (Kwai) in 84 men with mild or moderate arterial hypertension ... Allicor treatment (600 mg daily) resulted in a reduction of both systolic and diastolic blood pressures by 7.0 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 5.3-8.7) and 3.8 mm Hg (95% CI: 2.7-4.8), respectively. Increasing the Allicor dosage to 2400 mg daily did not provide any additional benefit. Treatment with Kwai resulted in the same decrease in systolic blood pressure (5.4 mm Hg, 95% CI: 1.9-8.8) as that seen with Allicor, but no decrease in diastolic blood pressure was observed with Kwai ... The results of this study show that time-released garlic powder tablets are more effective for the treatment of mild and moderate arterial hypertension than are regular garlic supplements" - See garlic products at iHerb.
• Benefit Of Grapes May Be More Than Skin Deep: Lower Blood Pressure, Reduced Heart Damage - Science Daily, 4/22/09 - "After 18 weeks, the rats that received the grape-enriched diet powder had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage than the rats that ate the same salty diet but didn't receive grapes ... Rats that received the blood pressure medicine, hydrazine, along with a salty diet also had lower blood pressure, but their hearts were not protected from damage as they were in the grape-fed group" - See OPC + 95 products at iHerb.
• Resveratrol attenuates angiotensin II-induced interleukin-6 expression and perivascular fibrosis - Hypertens Res. 2009 Apr 17 - "Resveratrol significantly attenuated Ang II-induced IL-6 mRNA expression and IL-6 protein in the supernatant of VSMC in a dose-dependent manner. Resveratrol suppressed the IL-6 gene promoter activity. Resveratrol inhibited the Ang II-induced cAMP-response element-binding protein and nuclear factor-kappa B activity, which are critical for Ang II-induced IL-6 gene activation. An increase in the serum concentration of IL-6 induced by Ang II infusion was attenuated by an oral administration of resveratrol. Resveratrol also inhibited Ang II-induced hypertension and perivascular fibrosis of the heart. Although hydralazine reduced blood pressure level equal to resveratrol, it did not reduce the Ang II-induced IL-6 production and perivascular fibrosis. These data suggest that the inhibition of Ang II-induced vascular inflammation and high blood pressure by resveratrol may contribute, at least in part, to the anti-atherogenic effects of resveratrol" - See Jarrow Resveratrol 100 at iHerb.
• Late Bedtimes Linked to Heart Disease - WebMD, 3/30/09 - "The fewer hours a man slept each night, the higher his BMI, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels"
• Chronic Insomnia With Short Sleep Duration Is Significant Risk Factor For Hypertension - Science Daily, 4/1/09 - "A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first to demonstrate that chronic insomnia with objectively measured short sleep time is an independent and clinically significant risk factor for hypertension"
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation Enhances Antihypertensive Effect of Ramipril in Chinese Patients With Obesity-Related Hypertension - Am J Hypertens. 2009 Mar 19 - "Participants were randomized to a daily dose of 4.5 g/day CLA (nine 0.5-g capsules; a 50:50 isomer blend of c 9,t 11 and t 10,c 12 CLA) with 37.5 mg/day ramipril (group 1) or placebo with 37.5 mg/day ramipril (group 2) for 8 weeks ... Treatment with CLA significantly enhanced the reduction effect of ramipril on systolic BP and diastolic BP (P < 0.05). It also increased plasma adiponectin concentration (P < 0.05) and decreased plasma concentrations of leptin and angiotensinogen (P < 0.05); however, significant change was not observed in ACE activity" - See CLA products at iHerb.
• Low Vitamin D Hurts Teenagers’ Hearts - WebMD, 3/11/09 - "Compared to the 25% of teens with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood (more than 26 nanograms per milliliter), the 25% of teens with the lowest vitamin D levels (less than 15 ng/mL) had: ... Fourfold greater risk of metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors for diabetes ... 2.54 times greater risk of high blood sugar ... 2.36 times greater risk of high blood pressure" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Catechin prevents endothelial dysfunction in the prediabetic stage of OLETF rats by reducing vascular NADPH oxidase activity and expression - Atherosclerosis. 2009 Feb 3 - "studies have indicated that regular intake of green tea reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This study examined whether catechin prevents endothelial dysfunction and hyperglycemia in the prediabetic stage of a type 2 diabetic (T2D) rat ... Catechin significantly reduced blood pressure (OLETF vs. Catechin-OLETF; 138+/-16mmHg vs. 126+/-16mmHg, p=0.013), fasting sugar (129+/-11mg/dL vs. 118+/-9mg/dL, p=0.02) and the insulin level (2.13+/-1.29ng/mL vs. 0.53+/-0.27ng/mL, p=0.004). In the aorta of Catechin-OLETF at 25 weeks, endothelium-dependent relaxations were significantly improved and NADPH oxidase activity in aortic rings was markedly decreased compared with those of OLETF. Catechin reduced vascular reactive oxygen species formation in the aorta and suppressed the expression of p22phox and p47phox NADPH oxidase subunits" - See Jarrow green tea extract at iHerb.
• Vitamin C-rich foods may boost artery health - Nutra USA, 2/17/09 - "increased intakes of vitamin C and fruit and berries were associated with less thickening of the carotid artery ... one mg per decilitre increase in blood vitamin C levels was linked to a 4.1 and 4.0 mmHg in systolic and diastolic blood pressures" - [Abstract] - See Vitamin C products at iHerb.
• Low-fat dairy linked to blood pressure improvements: Study - Nutra USA, 1/29/09 - "The systolic and diastolic blood pressures of those with the highest average level of low-fat dairy intake (631 grams per day) were 4.2 and 1.8 mmHg lower than for participants with the lowest average intakes (3.1 grams per day)"
• Low-Sodium, High Potassium is Effective in Lowering Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 1/26/09 - "Those with the highest sodium levels in their urine were 20% more likely to suffer strokes, heart attacks, or other forms of cardiovascular disease compared with their counterparts with the lowest sodium levels. However this link was not strong enough to be considered statistically significant ... By contrast, participants with the highest sodium-to-potassium ratio in urine were 50% more likely to experience cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest sodium-to-potassium ratios. This link was statistically significant ... To lower blood pressure and blunt the effects of salt, adults should consume 4.7 grams of potassium per day unless they have a clinical condition or medication need that is a contraindication to increased potassium intake" - See potassium products at iHerb.
• Reducing Salt Intake Isn't The Only Way To Reduce Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 1/26/09 - "A new study suggests that people trying to lower their blood pressure should also boost their intake of potassium, which has the opposite effect to sodium ... To lower blood pressure and blunt the effects of salt, adults should consume 4.7 grams of potassium per day unless they have a clinical condition or medication need that is a contraindication to increased potassium intake" - See potassium products at iHerb.
• Vitamin C and BP - Medscape, 1/6/09 - "plasma vitamin-C concentrations were inversely associated with blood pressure in young women [1]. The results suggest that this nutrient may favorably influence blood pressure in healthy young adults ... plasma ascorbic acid at year 10 was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP. Those in the highest quartile of plasma vitamin C had 4.66-mm-Hg lower systolic BP and 6.04-mm-Hg lower diastolic BP (p=0.0002) than those in the lowest quartile ... Block says she has recently authored two papers detailing possible mechanisms by which vitamin C could lower BP. These show that vitamin C significantly lowers F2-isprostane, a marker of oxidative stress, and CRP, a marker of inflammation [2,3]. "Both inflammation and oxidative stress are pretty well established as having a role in hypertension ... Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant in vitro, and in some animal studies it has been shown to act as a vasodilator, possibly by enhancing the bioavailability of nitric oxide" - See Vitamin C products at iHerb.
• Treatment of white coat hypertension with metformin - Int Heart J. 2008 Nov;49(6):671-9 - "White coat hypertension (WCH) is most likely a disorder associated with metabolic syndrome ... Twenty-five cases (14.7%) stopped metformin therapy due to excessive anorexia. At the end of a 6-month period, there were highly significant differences between the two groups with respect to the prevalences of resolved WCH, hyperbetalipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, dyslipidemia, overweight and obesity, and decreased fasting plasma glucose below 110 mg/dL ... Thus, the management of WCH should not focus solely on the regulation of blood pressure with antihypertensive medications, but rather on the prevention of future excess weight and various associated disorders, and metformin alone is an effective therapeutic option, most likely due to its powerful inhibitory effect on appetite"
• The Effects of Natural Antioxidants from Tomato Extract in Treated but Uncontrolled Hypertensive Patients - Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2008 Dec 4 - "two double blind cross-over treatment periods of 6 weeks each, with standardized tomato extract or identical placebo ... There was a significant reduction of systolic BP after 6 weeks of tomato extract supplementation, from 145.8 +/- 8.7 to 132.2 +/- 8.6 mmHg (p < 0.001) and 140.4 +/- 13.3 to 128.7 +/- 10.4 mmHg (p < 0.001) in the two groups accordingly. Similarly, there was a decline in diastolic BP from 82.1 +/- 7.2 to 77.9 +/- 6.8 mmHg (p = 0.001) and from 80.1 +/- 7.9 to 74.2 +/- 8.5 mmHg (p = 0.001). There was no significant change in systolic and diastolic BP during the placebo period" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at iHerb.
• Potassium Loss From Blood Pressure Drugs May Explain Higher Risk Of Adult Diabetes - Science Daily, 11/24/08 - "a drop in blood potassium levels caused by diuretics commonly prescribed for high blood pressure could be the reason why people on those drugs are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes" - See potassium products at iHerb.
• Effects of Garlic on Blood Pressure in Patients With and Without Systolic Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis (December) - Ann Pharmacother. 2008 Nov 18 - "Garlic reduced SBP by 16.3 mm Hg (95% CI 6.2 to 26.5) and DBP by 9.3 mmHg (95% CI 5.3 to 13.3) compared with placebo in patients with elevated SBP" - See garlic products at iHerb.
• The effect of lowering blood pressure by magnesium supplementation in diabetic hypertensive adults with low serum magnesium levels: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial - J Hum Hypertens. 2008 Nov 20 - "Over 4 months, subjects in the intervention group received 2.5 g of MgCl(2) (50 ml of a solution containing 50 g of MgCl(2) per 1000 ml of solution) equivalent to 450 mg of elemental magnesium, and control subjects inert placebo ... SBP (-20.4+/-15.9 versus -4.7 +/- 12.7 mm Hg, P=0.03) and DBP (-8.7+/-16.3 versus -1.2+/-12.6 mm Hg, P=0.02) showed significant decreases, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (0.1+/-0.6 versus -0.1+/-0.7 mmol l(-1), P=0.04) a significant increase in the magnesium group compared to the placebo group. The adjusted odds ratio between serum magnesium and BP was 2.8 (95%CI: 1.4-6.9). Oral magnesium supplementation with MgCl(2) significantly reduces SBP and DBP in diabetic hypertensive adults with hypomagnesaemia" - See magnesium products at iHerb.
• Hibiscus Tea May Cut Blood Pressure - WebMD, 11/10/08 - "Overall, drinking hibiscus tea blends lowered systolic blood pressure -- the top number in the blood pressure reading -- by an average of 7 points. That was significantly more than the 1-point drop observed in people who were given a placebo in the form of hibiscus-flavored water"
• Low Potassium Linked To High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 11/8/08 - "As a risk factor for high blood pressure, low levels of potassium in the diet may be as important as high levels of sodium" - See potassium products at iHerb.
• Grapes May Aid A Bunch Of Heart Risk Factors, Animal Study Finds - Science Daily, 10/29/08 - "Could eating grapes help fight high blood pressure related to a salty diet? And could grapes calm other factors that are also related to heart diseases such as heart failure? A new University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study suggests so" - See OPC + 95 products at iHerb.
• Chicken Soup May Help Fight High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 10/13/08 - "Saiga and colleagues extracted collagen from chicken legs and tested its ability to act as an ACE inhibitor in the laboratory studies. They identified four different proteins in the collagen mixture with high ACE-inhibitory activity. Given to rats used to model human high blood pressure, the proteins produced a significant and prolonged decrease in blood pressure"
• Olive Leaf Extract Can Help Tackle High Blood Pressure And Cholesterol - Science Daily, 8/27/08 - "This works showed that taking a 1000mg dose has substantial effects in people with borderline hypertension" - See Olive Leaf extracts at iHerb.
• High-sugar diets increase cardiac dysfunction and mortality in hypertension compared to low-carbohydrate or high-starch diets - J Hypertens. 2008 Jul;26(7):1402-1410 - "Diets high in sugar accelerated cardiac systolic dysfunction and mortality in hypertension compared to either a low-carbohydrate/high-fat or high-starch diet"
• Chromium ingredient may lower blood pressure: study - Nutra USA, 5/15/08 - "niacin-bound chromium III (NBC) may act as an ACE inhibitor, which work by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II, thereby improving blood flow and blood pressure" - I've been told that niacin-bound chromium is sold as ChromeMate®.  See ChromeMate® products at iHerb.
• Pine bark extract may boost diabetics' heart health - Nutra USA, 5/12/08 - "recruited diabetic subjects with an average age of 60 and randomly assigned them to receive daily supplements of Pycnogenol (125 mg) or placebo for 12 weeks ... All subjects were receiving pharmaceutical anti-hypertension treatment (angiotensin- converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors) ... 58.3 per cent of subjects in the Pycnogenol group experienced blood pressure control, defined as attaining a stable systolic blood pressure, compared to 20.8 per cent in the placebo group ... use of ACE inhibitors was reduced by 50 per cent in the group receiving the pine bark extract ... a 23.7 mg/dL reduction in fasting blood glucose levels in the Pycnogenol group, compared to only 5.7 mg/dL in the placebo group" - See Pine Bark/Pycnogenol products at iHerb.
• Happy Marriage, Better Blood Pressure - WebMD, 3/20/08
• Vitamin D improves endothelial function in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and low vitamin D levels - Diabet Med. 2008 Feb 13 - "Vitamin D supplementation significantly decreased systolic blood pressure by 14 mmHg compared with placebo" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Antihyperlipemic and antihypertensive effects of Spirulina maxima in an open sample of Mexican population: a preliminary report - Lipids Health Dis. 2007 Nov 26;6:33 - "the calculated values for cholesterol associated to low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) were significantly reduced by the Spirulina maxima ... significant differences were found comparing initial and final SYST-P and DIAST-P blood pressure in both male and female: SYST-P male 121 +/- 9 vs. 111 +/- 8 mm Hg (p < 0.01), DIAST-P male 85 +/- 6.5 vs. 77 +/- 9 mm Hg (p < 0.01); SYST-P female 120 +/- 9.5 vs. 109 +/- 11 mm Hg (p < 0.002), DIAST-P female 85 +/- 11 vs. 79 +/- 7.5 mm Hg" - See spirulina products at iHerb.
• Dietary pattern and blood pressure control in a hypertension outpatient clinic - Hypertens Res. 2007 Nov;30(11):1043-50 - "those who return to a diet richer in vegetables, legumes and fish and poorer in saturated fat and salt achieve better control of their BP, without increasing the number of antihypertensive pills"
• n-3 Fatty acids, hypertension and risk of cognitive decline among older adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study - Public Health Nutr. 2008 Jan;11(1):17-29 - "Word Fluency Test (WFT) ... an increase of one standard deviation in dietary long-chain n-3 fatty acids (% of energy intake) and balancing long-chain n-3/n-6 decreased the risk of 6-year cognitive decline in verbal fluency with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.79 (0.66-0.95) and 0.81 (0.68-0.96), respectively, among hypertensives. An interaction with hypertensive status was found for dietary long-chain n-3 fatty acids (g day-1) and WFT decline (likelihood ratio test, P = 0.06). This exposure in plasma cholesteryl esters was also protective against WFT decline, particularly among hypertensives (OR = 0.51" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb.
• Optimal vitamin D status attenuates the age-associated increase in systolic blood pressure in white Americans: results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jan;87(1):136-41 - "systolic blood pressure (SBP) ... SBP is inversely associated with serum vitamin D concentrations in nonhypertensive white persons in the United States" - Note:  SBP is the upper number.  See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Ascorbic Acid Decreases the Binding Affinity of the AT(1) Receptor for Angiotensin II - Am J Hypertens. 2008 Jan;21(1):67-71 - "Ascorbic acid decreases the binding affinity of the AT(1) receptor. These results offer a mechanistic explanation for the reported blood pressure lowering effect of ascorbic acid"
• Prevention of hypertension, cardiovascular damage and endothelial dysfunction with green tea extracts - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Dec;20(12):1321-8 - "green tea extract (GTE) ... The GTE prevented hypertension and target organ damage induced by a high Ang II dose, likely by prevention or scavenging of superoxide anion generation" - See green tea products at iHerb.
• Pycnogenol((R)), French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans - Hypertens Res. 2007 Sep;30(9):775-80 - "These findings suggest that Pycnogenol((R)) augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation by increasing in NO production. Pycnogenol((R)) would be useful for treating various diseases whose pathogeneses involve endothelial dysfunction" - Some say that grape seed extract is the same as Pycnogenol((R)) without the patent markup.  See Pine Bark/Pycnogenol products at iHerb and Grape seed products at iHerb.
• n-3 Fatty acids, hypertension and risk of cognitive decline among older adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study - Public Health Nutr. 2007 Jul 12;:1-13 - "Word Fluency Test (WFT) ... Findings indicated that an increase of one standard deviation in dietary long-chain n-3 fatty acids (% of energy intake) and balancing long-chain n-3/n-6 decreased the risk of 6-year cognitive decline in verbal fluency with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.79 (0.66-0.95) and 0.81 (0.68-0.96), respectively, among hypertensives. An interaction with hypertensive status was found for dietary long-chain n-3 fatty acids (g day-1) and WFT decline (likelihood ratio test, P = 0.06). This exposure in plasma cholesteryl esters was also protective against WFT decline, particularly among hypertensives (OR = 0.51"
• Onion compound linked to lower blood pressure - Nutra USA, 10/23/07 - "receive a daily supplement of quercetin (730 mg, USANA Health Sciences) or placebo for 28 days ... the hypertensives receiving the quercitin supplement experienced reductions in systolic and diastolic BP of seven and five mmHg, respectively, compared to placebo" - See quercetin products at iHerb.
• Quercetin reduces blood pressure in hypertensive subjects - J Nutr. 2007 Nov;137(11):2405-11 - "730 mg quercetin/d for 28 d vs. placebo ... reductions in (P < 0.01) systolic (-7 +/- 2 mm Hg), diastolic (-5 +/- 2 mm Hg), and mean arterial pressures (-5 +/- 2 mm Hg) were observed in stage 1 hypertensive patients after quercetin treatment" - See quercetin products at iHerb.
• Modest Weight Loss Cuts Hypertension - WebMD, 10/1/07 - "A little more than half (52%) of those who met the weight loss goal also got their blood pressure down into the normal range ... The bottom line: It didn't take a whole lot of weight loss to curb high blood pressure"
• Whole Grains vs. High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 8/10/07 - "Compared to women who reported eating less than half a daily serving of whole grains, women who claimed to eat at least four daily servings of whole grains were about 23% less likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure during the study"
• Dietary patterns and blood pressure change over 5-y follow-up in the SU.VI.MAX cohort - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1650-6 - "high fruit and vegetable intakes may be associated with a lower increase in BP with aging"
• Omega-3s May Lower Blood Pressure - WebMD, 6/4/07 - "Participants with the highest intake of omega-3 fatty acids tended to have the lowest blood pressure" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb or Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• Effect of combined treatment with alpha-Lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine on vascular function and blood pressure in patients with coronary artery disease - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2007 Apr;9(4):249-55 - "Mitochondria produce reactive oxygen species that may contribute to vascular dysfunction. alpha-Lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine reduce oxidative stress and improve mitochondrial function ... Active treatment increased brachial artery diameter by 2.3% (P=.008), consistent with reduced arterial tone. Active treatment tended to decrease systolic blood pressure for the whole group (P=.07) and had a significant effect in the subgroup with blood pressure above the median (151+/-20 to 142+/-18 mm Hg; P=.03) and in the subgroup with the metabolic syndrome (139+/-21 to 130+/-18 mm Hg; P=.03)" - See Doctor's Best acetyl-l-carnitine and the  Jarrow alpha lipoic acid.
• Coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of hypertension: a meta-analysis of the clinical trials - J Hum Hypertens. 2007 Apr;21(4):297-306 - "coenzyme Q10 has the potential in hypertensive patients to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg without significant side effects" - See coenzyme Q10 products at iHerb.
• Supplementation with vitamins C and e improves arterial stiffness and endothelial function in essential hypertensive patients - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Apr;20(4):392-7 - "Combined treatment with vitamins C and E has beneficial effects on endothelium-dependent vasodilation and arterial stiffness in untreated, essential hypertensive patients"
• Chiropractic Cuts Blood Pressure - WebMD, 3/16/07
• Coenzyme Q(10) in the treatment of hypertension: a meta-analysis of the clinical trials - J Hum Hypertens. 2007 Feb 8 - "We conclude that coenzyme Q(10) has the potential in hypertensive patients to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg without significant side effects" - See Coenzyme Q10 products at iHerb.
• Dietary supplementation with flaxseed oil lowers blood pressure in dyslipidaemic patients - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan 31 - "Supplementation with ALA resulted in significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels compared with LA" - See Flax seed products at iHerb.
• Moderate Consumption of Olive Oil by Healthy European Men Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure in Non-Mediterranean Participants J Nutr. 2007 Jan;137(1):84-87 - "General linear models showed that the administration of the sequence of the 3 olive oils was responsible for a 3% decrease in systolic BP (SBP) (P < 0.05), but not in diastolic BP, in the non-Mediterranean subjects"
• Whole-grain diets reduce blood pressure in mildly hypercholesterolemic men and women - J Am Diet Assoc. 2006 Sep;106(9):1445-9 - "Systolic pressure was lower after the wheat/rice and half-and-half diets. Diastolic and mean arterial pressures were reduced by all whole-grain diets"
• Potassium magnesium supplementation for four weeks improves small distal artery compliance and reduces blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension - Clin Exp Hypertens. 2006 Jul;28(5):489-97 - "magnesium, 70.8 mg/d; potassium, 217.2 mg/d ... On K+ and Mg2+ supplementation, systolic and diastolic BP decreased 7.83 +/- 1.87 mm Hg and 3.67 +/- 1.03 mm Hg"
• Low-Fat Dairy Lowers Blood Pressure - WebMD, 6/26/06 - "the systolic blood pressure of people who ate the most low-fat dairy -- more than three servings a day -- was 2.6 points lower than those who ate the least -- less than half a serving a day"
• Grape Seed Extract for Blood Pressure? - WebMD, 3/27/06
• Study Shows Grape Seed Extract May Be Effective In Reducing Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 3/27/06 - "The first group received a placebo, while the second and third groups received 150 milligrams and 300 milligrams, respectively, of a new grape seed extract ... Participants in the two groups receiving grape seed extract experienced an equal degree of reduced blood pressure. The average drop in systolic pressure was 12 millimeters. The average drop in diastolic pressure was 8 millimeters" - See iHerb grape seed extracts.
• Salt Substitute Significantly Reduces Hypertension Amongst Rural Chinese - Science Daily, 3/14/06 - "Among the 600 individuals studied in rural Northern China, the low-sodium high-potassium salt substitute demonstrated that it could reduce blood pressure to about the same extent as single drug therapy"
• How Nice, Brown Rice: Study Shows Rice Bran Lowers Blood Pressure In Rats - Science Daily, 3/3/06 - "adding rice bran to the diets of hypertensive, stroke-prone rats lowered the animals’ systolic blood pressure by about 20 percent and, via the same mechanism, inhibited angiotensin-1 converting enzyme, or ACE"
• Melatonin may cut hypertension - Nutra USA, 2/2/06 - "A 10 per cent decline of BP over daytime values is considered appropriate to reduce the cardiovascular risk ... During placebo use only 39 per cent of the subjects reached this value, but this rate surged to 84 per cent during melatonin administration" - See iHerb melatonin products.
• Tomato extract helps reduce blood pressure - Nutra USA, 1/12/06 - "a daily intake of the commercial encapsulated tomato extract Lyc-O-Mato, made by Israel-based LycoRed, was linked to a drop in systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of ten and four points after eight weeks of supplementation of a normal diet" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at iHerb.
• Natural antioxidants from tomato extract reduce blood pressure in patients with grade-1 hypertension: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study - Am Heart J. 2006 Jan;151(1):100 - "Systolic blood pressure decreased from 144 (SE +/- 1.1) to 134 mm Hg (SE +/- 2, P < .001), and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 87.4 (SE +/- 1.2) to 83.4 mm Hg" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at iHerb.
• Skimmed Milk Reduces The Risk Of Hypertension By 50 Percent - Science Daily, 12/1/05 - "Those persons with an elevated consumption of skimmed milk and milk products showed a reduction of 50% in their risk of developing hypertension, compared with those with a low consumption or who did not consume these products"
• Unsaturated Fats Can Lower Blood Pressure, Study Shows - WashingtonPost.com, 11/15/05 - "Trading about 10 percent of carbohydrates in one's diet for beans and healthy fats, such as olive oil, can help control high blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol levels"
• High Blood Pressure: Nightly Aspirin May Help - WebMD, 9/15/05 - "After three months, these were the results: ... Aspirin at night: Significant drop in blood pressure ... Aspirin in the morning: Slightly higher blood pressure"
• Dark Chocolate May Cut High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 7/18/05 - "With dark chocolate, 24-hour systolic blood pressure dropped 12 points; diastolic blood pressure dipped 8.5 points ... Insulin sensitivity and LDL cholesterol also improved with dark chocolate ... the dark chocolate we used had a high level of flavonoids"
• Reduce Your Blood Pressure - ABC News, 7/5/05 - "blood pressure is the key to healthy arteries, and arteries are the key to aging ... the ideal blood pressure is 115/75"
• Soybean Protein Supplementation May Reduce Systolic, Diastolic BP - Medscape, 7/5/05 - "randomized to receive 40 g of isolated soybean protein supplements daily ... the net blood pressure changes in the soy group after the intervention were -4.31 mm Hg systolic ... and -2.76 mm Hg diastolic"
• WARNING! Normal Blood Pressure May Be High Blood Pressure! - Life Extension Magazine, 5/05 - "To Solve Hypertension, Address Metabolic Syndrome"
• Exercise Alone No High Blood Pressure Cure - WebMD, 4/12/05 - "A vigorous-intensity exercise program has many benefits for older people. But curing high blood pressure doesn't seem to be one of them"
• Folic acid: It's not just for your baby’s health - MSNBC, 4/4/05 - "The younger group of women (ages 25 to 42) who consumed 1000 micrograms of folic acid through foods and supplements had a 46 percent decrease in their risk of developing hypertension as compared to those women who consumed less than 200 micrograms ... older group of women (ages 30 to 55) 1000 micrograms of folic acid was found to decrease risk of developing hypertension to a lesser extent — 18 percent" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Dark Chocolate May Lower Blood Pressure - WebMD, 3/11/05 - "the participants' systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) was significantly lower after 15 days of eating dark chocolate -- an average of 108 mm Hg compared with 114 mm Hg"
• High-Fiber Diet May Fight High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 3/4/05 - "the average reduction in blood pressure was 3.12 mmHg systolic and 2.57 mmHg diastolic"
• Folic Acid May Prevent Hypertension in Addition to Reducing the Risk of Birth Defects - Doctor's Guide, 2/24/05 - "younger women who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms per day of total folic acid (dietary plus supplemental) had a 46 percent decreased risk of hypertension, compared with those who consumed less than 200 micrograms a day of total folic acid. Older women with high total folic acid intake also had an 18 percent reduced risk of hypertension"
• The combination of vitamin C and grape-seed polyphenols increases blood pressure: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - J Hypertens. 2005 Feb;23(2):427-434 - "Vitamin C alone reduced systolic BP versus placebo ... However, treatment with the combination of vitamin C and polyphenols increased systolic BP (4.8 +/- 0.9 mmHg versus placebo ... and diastolic BP (2.7 +/- 0.6 mmHg, P < 0.0001 versus placebo"
• New Study Reveals Treatment For 'Silent Killer' Using Diet, Not Drugs - Science Daily, 1/19/04
• Folic Acid May Fight High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 1/18/05
• Folate intake and the risk of incident hypertension among US women - JAMA. 2005 Jan 19;293(3):320-9 - "Higher total folate intake was associated with a decreased risk of incident hypertension, particularly in younger women" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• High Folate Intake May Reduce Risk of Hypertension in Women - Medscape, 1/18/05 - [Abstract] "younger women consuming at least 1,000 µg per day of total folate (dietary plus supplemental) had a 46% reduction in the risk of incident hypertension ... compared with those ingesting less than 200 µg per day"
• The high five for hypertension - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 12/04 - "Co-enzyme Q10 ... Omega-3 fatty acids ... Garlic ... L-arginine ... Calcium"
• Cardiovascular effects of oral Supplementation of vitamin C, E and folic acid in young healthy males - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2004 Jul;74(4):285-93 - "The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a daily dosage of 1000 mg vitamin C, 800 mg vitamin E, and 10 mg folate on markers of vascular function in 31 young healthy male adults ... Our main finding was a significant decrease (p = 0.03) in systolic blood pressure in the experimental group"
• More Muscle Means Better Regulation Of Blood Pressure, Study Finds - Science Daily, 11/26/04 - "Fat, especially abdominal fat, secretes angiotensin which makes angiotensin II, a powerful vasoconstrictor that also directs the kidneys to absorb more sodium so blood vessels retain more fluid volume"
• Stressed? Build Muscle to Help Blood Pressure - WebMD, 11/24/04
• Folate Lowers Risk of High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 10/11/04 - "Young women with very low dietary folate who got their folate from vitamin supplements had a 39% lower risk of high blood pressure compared with young women who did not take folate supplements" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Handgrip Exercises May Lower Blood Pressure - WebMD, 10/8/04
• Magnesium in Hypertension Prevention and Control - Life Extension Magazine, 9/04 - "Magnesium is one of the body’s most important minerals. ... Magnesium is a major factor in relaxing the smooth muscles within the blood vessels, thereby reducing peripheral vascular resistance and blood pressure.11-13 In addition, magnesium reduces nerve and muscle excitability, stabilizes cardiac conductivity, and influences neurochemical transmission.11,13,14 Magnesium also affects circulating levels of norepinephrine and the synthesis of serotonin and nitric oxide ... taking 600 mg of magnesium daily reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 7.6 mm Hg and diastolic pressure by an average of 3.8 mm Hg"
• Tea Drinkers Reap Blood Pressure Benefits - WebMD, 7/26/04 - "Those who drank at least a half-cup of moderate strength green or oolong tea per day for a year had a 46% lower risk of developing hypertension than those who didn't drink tea" - See iHerb green tea products.  My favorite is Jarrow green tea at iHerb.
• The Natural Treatment of Hypertension - Medscape, 6/4/04
• The Impact of Vitamins and/or Mineral Supplementation on Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetes - J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):272-9 - "group M: 200 mg Mg and 30 mg Zn (n = 16), group V: 200 mg vitamin C and 150 mg vitamin E (n = 18), group MV: minerals plus vitamins ... after three months of supplementation levels of systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure decreased significantly in the MV group"
• Melatonin to Lower Blood Pressure? - Dr. Weil, 2/24/04
• Antioxidant May Help Lower Blood Pressure - WebMD, 2/20/04 - "people with high blood pressure who took the supplement, called Pycnogenol, were able to lower their daily dose of blood pressure-lowering medications by more than 30% ... researchers looked at the effects of daily supplementation with 100 milligrams of Pycnogenol" - Some claim that grape seed extract is identical to Pycnogenol without the patent mark-up.  - See iHerb grape seed extracts.
• Daily nighttime melatonin reduces blood pressure in male patients with essential hypertension - Hypertension. 2004 Feb;43(2):192-7 - "In patients with essential hypertension, repeated bedtime melatonin intake significantly reduced nocturnal blood pressure"- See iHerb melatonin products.
• Pycnogenol reduces need for hypertension drugs - Nutra USA, 2/19/04 - "supplementation with 100mg Pycnogenol over a period of 12 weeks helped to reduce patients’ dose of the calcium antagonist nifedipine in a statistically significant manner" - Some claim that grape seed extract is identical to Pycnogenol without the patent mark-up.  - See iHerb grape seed extracts.
• Nightime Melatonin Supplementation May Be Useful in the Treatment of Essential Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 2/4/04 - "2.5 mg/day ... mean sleep systolic blood pressure decreased by 6 mm Hg and mean sleep diastolic blood pressure decreased by 4 mm Hg ... Repeated melatonin significantly increased sleep efficiency from 80% to 85% and increased actual sleep time from 5.6 to 6.1 hours. Melatonin therapy also reduced sleep latency from 33 to 22 minutes" - See iHerb melatonin products.
• Jet Lag Hormone Lowers Blood Pressure - WebMD, 1/20/04
• Potassium Supplementation Reduces Blood Pressure - Healthwell Exchange Daily News, 10/30/03 - "59 healthy adults between the ages of 25 and 65 years were randomly assigned to receive 600 mg of potassium chloride three times per day or a placebo for six weeks ... Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and MAP all decreased significantly in those taking potassium (by 7.6 mmHg, 6.5 mmHg, and 7.0 mmHg, respectively), compared with initial measurements. A significant increase in blood pressure was observed in those taking placebo" - See iHerb potassium products.
• Increasing Calcium More Likely to Lower Blood Pressure Than Decreasing Sodium - Doctor's Guide, 10/12/03 - "When the diet is "balanced with no deficit in minerals, salt is not a problem," he said. "Salt becomes a problem when the diet is calcium deficient. Specifically, as calcium intake increases, blood pressure decreases."" - See Tums at drugstore.com.
• Healthy BMI Prevents High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 10/9/03
• Vitamin E Supplements Effective Treatment for Mild Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 10/1/03 - "Vitamin E supplements of 200 IU/day improved the blood pressure status of 70 mild hypertensive ... Subjects who received vitamin E supplements had a 24% decrease in systolic blood pressure compared to a 1.6% decrease among placebo controls" - the systolic is the high number and is usually the problem.  See iHerb vitamin E products.
• Tea Intake Is Inversely Related to Blood Pressure in Older Women - J Nutr. 2003 Sep;133(9):2883-2886 - "Tea is rich in polyphenols, which have activities consistent with blood pressure-lowering potential ... Higher tea intake and higher 4-O-methylgallic acid excretion were associated with significantly lower systolic (P = 0.002 and P = 0.040, respectively) and diastolic (P = 0.027 and P < 0.001, respectively) blood pressures. A 250 mL/d (1 cup) increase in tea intake was associated with a 2.2 (0.8, 3.6) mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure and a 0.9 (0.1, 1.7) mm Hg lower diastolic blood pressure" - See iHerb tea products and extracts.
• A Little Exercise Lowers Blood Pressure - WebMD, 8/29/03 - "The ability to lower blood pressure was greatest among those who exercised 61-90 minutes per week -- an average of 12 point drop in systolic and eight points in diastolic. But there were no further reductions in systolic blood pressure among those who exercised more than 90 minutes a week ... The researchers also found that how many times the participants exercised per week had no obvious effect on blood pressure -- just the total amount of time"
• Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate - WebMD, 8/27/03
• Addition of Low-Dose Potassium to Diet Lowers Blood Pressure - Medscape, 8/19/03 - "KCl was administered as 1 slow-release tablet containing 8 mmol KCL taken 3 times daily with meals. This daily dose of potassium is equivalent to the content of 5 portions of fresh fruits and vegetables. At the end of the 6-week intervention, the 30 subjects who took potassium showed significant decreases in SBP and DBP (7.60 and 6.46 mm Hg, respectively)" - See iHerb potassium products.
• The effect of low-dose potassium supplementation on blood pressure in apparently healthy volunteers - Br J Nutr. 2003 Jul;90(1):53-60 - "After 6 weeks of supplementation MAP [mean arterial pressure] was reduced by 7.01 ... mmHg, SBP was reduced by 7.60 ... mmHg and DBP was reduced by 6.46 ... mmHg ... A low daily dietary supplement of K, equivalent to the content of five portions of fresh fruits and vegetables, induced a substantial reduction in MAP, similar in effect to single-drug therapy for hypertension" - See iHerb potassium products.
• What Should We Advise Our Patients About Taking Antioxidants? - J Clin Hypertens 5(3):231-233, 2003 via Medscape - "At least two randomized trials of the effects of coenzyme Q10 (another antioxidant) on blood pressure have been reported. In the first,[20] 59 treated hypertensives were randomized to either coenzyme Q10 (60 mg twice daily) or vitamin B (placebo); after 8 weeks, clinic blood pressure was 14/7 mm Hg lower in the treated group. In the second,[21] 83 patients with isolated systolic hypertension were treated with coenzyme Q10 (using the same dose as the earlier study) for 12 weeks. The mean reduction of blood pressure was 17.8/7.3 mm Hg" - See iHerb coenzyme Q10 products.
• Night Time Aspirin Regimen Found to Reduce Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 6/4/03 - "Researchers randomly assigned participants to 3 subgroups, which received a regimen of no aspirin, 100 mg aspirin after waking, or 100 mg aspirin before sleeping ... The subgroup following a regimen of evening aspirin administration showed a reduction in the 24 hour mean of 6.2 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and 4.1 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure ... the effect was not evident for the subgroups receiving no aspirin or morning administration" - See Drugstore.com aspirin products.
• DASH Diet Works Like Hypertension Drug - WebMD, 5/19/03 - "the DASH diet -- created to fight high blood pressure -- works just like water pills ... If people eat the DASH diet with low salt intake -- especially older people -- their blood pressure goes down 15 points"
• Lifestyle Changes Improve Blood Pressure - WebMD, 5/14/03 - "Weight loss ... 5 - 20 points per 22 lbs. lost ... DASH eating plan ... 8 -14 points ... Exercise ... 4 - 9 points ... Moderate drinking ... 2 - 4 points"
• Fatty Acids Added To Infant Formula May Cut Later Heart Disease Risks - Doctor's Guide, 5/1/03 - "Several studies have reported lower blood pressure in adults whose diet was supplemented with omega 3 fatty acids, but no published studies have looked at the effect of LCPUFA supplementation on blood pressure in children ... The LCPUFA group had significantly lower mean blood pressure: mean difference -3.0 mm Hg, and mean difference of -3.5 mm Hg diastolic"
• Fortified Formulas Promote Healthy Heart - WebMD, 5/1/03
• Sesame Oil Benefits Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/28/03 - "studied 195 men and 133 women with high blood pressure. All were taking nifedipine (brand names include Adalta, Nifedical, and Procardia), a common blood pressure-lowering drug. Despite this treatment, all patients still had moderate high blood pressure. Sankar's team asked the patients to switch to sesame oil as the only cooking oil they used ... Sixty days later, the patients' average blood pressure dropped into the normal range ... he doesn't think that the PUFAs are involved in the blood-pressure-lowering effect of sesame oil. But he speculates that lower blood pressure may be an indirect effect of sesamin, sesamol, or both"
• Grape Seed Extract May Be A Useful Supplement To Blunt Hypertension In Postmenopausal Women - Intelihealth, 4/10/03 - "a diet moderately high in grape seed extract can blunt salt (sodium chloride)-sensitive hypertension to about the same extent as treatment with either plant estrogens or 17ß-estradiol. This suggests that mechanisms other than the estrogen receptor activation actually provides the beneficial effects of estrogen therapy and that grape seed extract may be a useful supplement to blunt hypertension and other cardiovascular symptoms in postmenopausal women" - See iHerb grape seed extract products.
• Remember Sodium? We're Still Getting Too Much - Intelihealth, 3/14/03 - "The average American consumes 4,000 milligrams of sodium per day, far exceeding the maximum of 2,400 milligrams recommended ... only an estimated 25 percent of daily sodium intake is added at the table. The remainder is unseen, consumed in restaurant and processed foods ... A Weight Watchers Smart Ones frozen entree may be low in fat and calories, but it's not so light in sodium ... a Burger King Broiler Chicken Sandwich has 1,110 milligrams of sodium ... about 90 percent of the population is diagnosed with hypertension by the age of 80. People with high blood pressure have an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. High sodium levels also raise the risk of osteoporosis and kidney problems ... In the case of osteoporosis, potassium appears to offset calcium losses from excessive sodium ... postmenopausal women with diets high in salt lost higher amounts of bone mineral. Eating potassium-rich foods such as bananas, tomatoes and orange juice helped stem the calcium loss"
• A fermented milk high in bioactive peptides has a blood pressure–lowering effect in hypertensive subjects - Am. J. of Clin. Nutr., 2/03 - "received 150 mL/d [5 ounces] of either L. helveticus LBK-16H fermented milk or a control product for 21 wk after a 2-wk run-in period ... There was a mean difference of 6.7 ± 3.0 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure (P = 0.030) and of 3.6 ± 1.9 mm Hg (P = 0.059) in diastolic blood pressure between the test product and control groups" - Related articles:
  • Fermented Milk Has Blood Pressure-Lowering Effects - Medscape, 2/10/03
• Vitamin C May Aid People with Diabetes - New Hope Natural Media, 2/13/03 - "randomly assigned to receive 500 mg of vitamin C per day or a placebo. After four weeks of treatment, the average blood pressure decreased significantly in the group taking vitamin C, whereas no change was seen in the placebo group. The systolic blood pressure (the higher number) decreased by an average of 9.8 mm Hg, while the diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) decreased by 4.4 mm Hg. These changes in blood pressure are nearly as great as one might expect from taking a prescription blood pressure-lowering medication. In addition, the stiffness of the arteries decreased significantly in the vitamin C group" - [J. Hypertension/Medline]- See iHerb vitamin C products.
• Coenzyme Q10 Improves High Blood Pressure - New Hope Natural Media, 1/9/03 - "recruited 83 people with a condition called isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), in which the higher blood pressure ... These people were assigned to take either 60 mg of CoQ10 twice daily or a placebo for 12 weeks ... The people taking CoQ10 had an 18-point (18 mm Hg) reduction in systolic blood pressure (from 165 to 147 mm Hg), compared with only a 2-point decline in the placebo group ... ISH is the most common type of high blood pressure in the United States" - See iHerb coenzyme Q10 products.
• Evidence-based Products - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 12/02 - "3g EPA/d and 3g DHA/d (ROPUFA) increased systemic arterial compliance in 38 dyslipidemic men and women, resulting in reduced pulse pressure and total vascular resistance ... Results showed that ROPUFA increased SAC—36 per cent with EPA and 27 per cent with DHA—compared with placebo" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb and Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.
• Folic Acid Improves Endothelial Function And Blood Pressure In Smokers - Doctor's Guide, 12/18/02 - "Smokers were randomly assigned to receive either 5 milligrams of folic acid or placebo every day ... Mean blood pressure was significantly reduced from 88 ± 2 to 83 ± 1 mmHg in those patients who received supplementation" - Seems like they could have tested non-smokers for the same effect while they were at it.  5 points is probably half of what you'd get from the standard dose of most anti-hypertensive medications. - Ben
• Slowing Down May Protect Heart - WebMD, 11/20/02
• Health Group Urges Less Salt In Food - Intelihealth, 11/13/02 - "The nation's largest public health group is recommending a 50 percent decrease in salt in processed food and restaurant meals over the next 10 years ... Government guidelines already recommend limiting intake of sodium - which increases blood pressure - to no more than 2.4 grams daily, or the equivalent of about a teaspoon of table salt. But the average American adult consumes nearly 4 grams a day"
• Banana growers given the nod on low BP claims - CNN, 11/2/00
• Moderate Intensity Aerobic Exercise Recommended for Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 10/1/02
• Folic Acid May Have Benefits for Smokers - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/02 - "randomised to four weeks of folic acid 5 mg/day or placebo ... Results showed that folic acid reduced homocysteine concentrations (10.8+/-0.6 versus 7.9+/-0.5 µmol/L, p<0.001) and there was a significant reduction in blood pressure (mean BP 88+/-2 versus 83+/-1 mmHg, p<0.01) ... Benefits also seem to be largely independent of the lowering of homocysteine concentrations"
• Soy Milk Lowers Blood Pressure - New Hope Natural Media, 8/30/02 - "After three months, the average systolic blood pressure (the higher number) had decreased by 18.4 mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) had fallen by 15.9 mm Hg in the soy group. This reduction is comparable to that seen with many prescription blood pressure-lowering drugs"
• Sunflower Seed May Hold Key To Reducing Hypertension And Preventing Debilitating Strokes - Intelihealth, 8/27/02 - "One of the leading contributors to a stroke is hypertension. Before a stroke occurs, prolonged hypertension has been associated with a range of impairments and cognitive ability ... Now a researcher suggests that linoleic acid, a doubly unsaturated fatty acid, which is essential in nutrition in mammals. It cannot be produced in animals, the sources of this needed nutrient are vegetable seed oils, such as: safflower, sunflower, and hemp seed ... Linoleic acid administration seems to significantly decrease the systolic blood pressures of SHRs [spontaneously hypertensive rats] at three and six months"
• Reduction of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy After Exercise and Weight Loss in Overweight Patients With Mild Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 7/15/02 - "Blood pressure fell by 7.0 / 6.0 mmHg in the weight management group and by 3.0 / 4.0 mmHg in the aerobic exercise group"
• New Evidence Fruit and Vegetable Intake Reduces Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/28/02 - "systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased more in the intervention group than in the control group ... A reduction of two mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure results in a decrease of about 17 percent in the incidence of high blood pressure, six percent in the risk of coronary heart disease, and 15 percent in the risk of stroke and transient ischaemic attack, they say"
• Putting Antioxidants To Use In Functional Formulas - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 5/02 - "In one study of 38 people, Joseph A. Vita, MD, of the Boston University School of Medicine, found that 500mg/day vitamin C lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 10 percent after only one month"
• Aerobics Best for Cutting Blood Pressure - WebMD, 5/17/02 - "They found that those who participated in only aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, or cycling, had lower blood pressure levels than those who participated in both aerobic exercise and weight lifting or calisthenics ... This suggests that there is a detrimental effect of [weight lifting] that blunts the benefit of walking, running, and jogging ... possible explanation for their finding may be that by creating bigger muscle mass, weight lifting creates an oxygen debt in the body, which means the body must work harder to supply oxygen. Another may be that weight lifting stimulates more damaging free radicals and oxidants than aerobic exercise"
• Fiber Stalls High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 5/15/02 - "Whole grains are included as part of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which has been found to help reduce blood pressure. The diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and recommends a daily intake of more than 25 grams of fiber a day. But Samuel says that based on the results of this study, whole grains aren't emphasized enough"
• Take Aspirin at Night for Heart Benefits - WebMD, 5/15/02 - "Aspirin didn't affect blood pressure if given in the morning. But when given at night, it had a significant effect: a 7.0 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood-pressure reading) and a 4.8 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number)."
• What's Wrong With Vitamin E? - Life Extension Magazine, 5/02 - "Tocotrienols and hypertension ..." - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• Exercise Said Best For Blood Pressure - Intelihealth, 4/22/02 - "The average reduction was 3.8 milligrams of mercury in systolic pressure ... average diastolic ... 2.58 milligrams of mercury lower"
• Exercise Helps Everyone's Heart - WebMD, 4/1/02 - "The overwhelming evidence shows exercise can reduce blood pressure in virtually anyone -- regardless of weight, race, or current blood pressure level ... regular aerobic exercise decreased systolic blood pressure (the top number) by an average of 3.8 mmHg and diastolic (the bottom number) by 2.58 mmHg, in people who were previously inactive"
• Orange Juice for the Heart - WebMD, 3/22/02
• Pycnogenol - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 3/02 - "Subjects taking pycnogenol experienced a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure, although there was no statistical significance in diastolic blood pressure when compared to placebo"
• Acupuncture Can Lower High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 6/11/01
• Is My Doctor Making My Blood Pressure Rise? - Dr. Weil, 1/25/02
• Antioxidants, At Certain Levels, May Reduce Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/01 - "increasing levels of serum beta- carotene were associated with significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, while increasing levels of serum vitamin C were associated with significant reductions in diastolic pressure ... In contrast, serum levels of vitamin E were associated with significant increases in diastolic blood pressure"
• Suggestions For Blood Pressure - Intelihealth, 11/5/01 - "Diet and exercise are common prescriptions for treatment of hypertension. But the study showed weight loss had a greater effect than exercise did"
• Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in isolated systolic hypertension - South Med J 2001 Nov;94(11):1112-7 - "conducted a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with twice daily administration of 60 mg of oral CoQ ... The mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of the CoQ-treated group was 17.8"
• Pets Diminish Blood Pressure Responses To Stress - Intelihealth, 10/25/01 - "pets may help people with high blood pressure deal with stress more effectively than the leading medication"
• Tomatoes May Help Fight High Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/01 - "patients were treated with a placebo for four weeks and then tomato extract (Lyc-O-Mato, LycoRed Natural Products Industries, Ltd.), for eight weeks ... Results showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure, from 144 mm Hg to 135 mm Hg, representing a mean 9 mm Hg reduction. Additionally, some favorable effects on diastolic blood pressure, blood lipids, lipoproteins, and oxidative stress markers were noted" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at iHerb.
• Has Hypertension Met Its Match? - Nutrition Science News, 4/01 - "These study results indicate that reducing sodium lowers blood pressure in people with or without hypertension. The researchers concluded that the recommended sodium intake, already substantially lower than the average intake, should be lowered further, and that more low-sodium products should be made available"
• Less Salt Is Often Still Too Much, Watch Out for High Salt Levels in Fast Foods, Processed Foods - WebMD, 1/3/01
• Vitamin E Supplements May Help Prevent Stroke In Men With Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/00
• HMB Pumps You Up While Lowering Cholesterol and Blood Pressure - WebMD, 8/18/00 - "These figures (for HMB) are just about what you would see by taking medications for hypertension or lowering cholesterol."
• Meditation may lower blood pressure - CNN, 7/24/00
• Vitamin C: A possible treatment for high blood pressure - CNN, 12/20/99 - "After one month, the average blood pressure of patients who took vitamin C [500 mg/day] dropped significantly more than that of patients in the placebo group, or 9.1 percent compared to 2.7 percent"
• Sidestep Heart Disease - Nutrition Science News, 3/99
• Potassium-Magnesium Citrate Effective In Correcting Thiazide-Induced Side Effects - Doctor's Guide, 11/13/98 - "Thiazide diuretics are commonly prescribed for hypertension and other medical conditions and are known to deplete stores of both potassium and magnesium. Depletion of either potassium or magnesium can cause frequent and sometimes serious complications, including muscle weakness, paralysis and cardiac arrhythmia. Further, magnesium depletion is probably under-diagnosed, with more importance placed on potassium depletion, but magnesium depletion, if left uncorrected, can result in potassium depletion"

Other News:

• Optimal Blood Pressure for Cognitive Function: Findings from an Elderly African-American Cohort Study - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2013 May 6 - "Systolic BP (SBP) of approximately 135 mmHg and diastolic BP (DBP) of approximately 80 mmHg were associated with optimal cognitive function after adjusting for other variables ... High and low BP were associated with poorer cognitive performance. A joint optimal region of SBP and DBP for cognitive function has been identified, which may provide useful clinical information on optimal BP control in cognitive health and lead to better quality of life for elderly adults"
• Effects of Low-Dose Atorvastatin on Arterial Stiffness and Central Aortic Pressure Augmentation in Patients With Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia - Am J Hypertens. 2013 Feb 28 - "50 hypertensive and hypercholesterolemic patients were allocated to receive 10mg of atorvastatin or placebo for 26 weeks ... At study end, aortic PWV (9.0±1.5 vs. 10.9±2.6 m/sec; P<0.001) and AIx(75) (24.9% ± 9.7% vs 28.8% ± 11.8%; P < 0.001) were significantly lower in the atorvastatin group than that placebo group. Furthermore, decreases in central aortic systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were evident at study-end with atorvastatin but not with placebo (130±8 vs. 138±6mm Hg, P < 0.001; 48±7 vs. 53±6mm Hg, P < 0.05, respectively). Atorvastatin-induced reductions in aortic PWV during follow-up showed significant associations with changes in AIx(75) and central aortic systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure"
• Blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases in type 2 diabetes: further findings from the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR-BP II) - J Hypertens. 2012 Aug 4 - "In treated patients, nonlinear splines for 6-year risk of fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD by BP as a continuous variable showed a progressive increase with higher SBP from 140 mmHg and higher, and with DBP from 80 mmHg, with a J-shaped risk curve at lowest SBP levels, but not obviously at lowest DBP levels. Analysing intervals of SBP with 130-134 mmHg as reference at Cox regression, adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD with at least 140 mmHg were 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.39], 1.43 (1.18-1.72), 1.26 (1.13-1.41), all P < 0.001. HR with 115-129 and 135-139 mmHg were nonsignificant, whereas increased with 100-114 mmHg, 1.96 (P < 0.001), 1.75 (P = 0.02), 2.08 (P < 0.001), respectively. With DBP 75-79 mmHg as reference, adjusted HR for fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD with DBP 80-84 mmHg were 1.42 (1.26-1.59), 1.46 (1.24-1.72), 1.39 (1.26-1.53), all P < 0.001. Corresponding HR with DBP at least 85 mmHg were 1.70 (1.50-1.92), 2.35 (1.99-2.77), 1.87 (1.69-2.07), all P < 0.001. Corresponding HR with DBP 60-69 and 70-74 mmHg were nonsignificant. The picture was similar in 7059 patients with previous CVD and in untreated patients ... CONCLUSION: BP around 130-135/75-79 mmHg showed lower risks of cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes"
• Rethinking the Association of High Blood Pressure With Mortality in Elderly Adults: The Impact of Frailty - Arch Intern Med. 2012 Jul 16:1-7 - "The association between BP and mortality varied by walking speed. Among faster walkers, those with elevated systolic BP (≥140 mm Hg) had a greater adjusted risk of mortality compared with those without (hazard ratio [HR], 1.35; 95% CI, 1.03-1.77). Among slower walkers, neither elevated systolic nor diastolic BP (≥90 mm Hg) was associated with mortality. In participants who did not complete the walk test, elevated BP was strongly and independently associated with a lower risk of death: HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.23-0.62 (systolic); and HR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01-0.81 (diastolic)"
• Too much salt may damage blood vessels and lead to high blood pressure - Science Daily, 6/18/12 - "Higher sodium intake was associated with increasing levels of uric acid and albumin over time. The higher the levels of these markers, the greater the risk of developing hypertension if dietary salt intake was high, researchers found. Compared with participants eating the least amount of sodium (about 2,200 milligrams a day), those eating the most (about 6,200 mg/d) were 21 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure. However, those who had high uric acid levels and ate the most salt were 32 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure while those with high urine albumin levels and highest salt intake were 86 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure ... A high-salt diet is believed to be responsible for 20 percent to 40 percent of all cases of high blood pressure in the United States"
• Prevalence and associated factors of subclinical hypercortisolism in patients with resistant hypertension - J Hypertens. 2012 Mar 7 - "Patients with resistant hypertension had a relatively high prevalence of subclinical hypercortisolism, and its presence is associated with several markers of worse cardiovascular prognosis"
• Serum Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels Are Associated with Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Dec 28 - "There is a positive relationship between serum TSH levels and hypertension in children and adolescents, suggesting that subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of hypertension"
• The association of antihypertensive medication use with risk of cognitive decline and dementia: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies - Int J Clin Pract. 2011 Dec;65(12):1295-305 - "The association of antihypertensive medication use with cognitive decline (including mild cognitive impairment) or dementia (including Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD) and any dementia) has still been an area of controversy ... The quantitative meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference in incidence of AD (RR: 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.03), cognitive decline (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.92-1.03) and cognitive impairment (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.92-1.03). The quantitative meta-analysis showed that the subjects with antihypertensive medication use were lower incidence of VD (RR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.52-0.87) and any dementia (RR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77-0.96) than those without"
• Relation Between Blood Pressure and Vascular Events and Mortality in Patients With Manifest Vascular Disease: J-Curve Revisited - Hypertension. 2011 Nov 7 - "Recent studies have challenged the notion that "lower is better" for blood pressure in relation to vascular events and mortality in patients with vascular disease, whereas practice guidelines currently recommend to lower blood pressure to <130/80 mm Hg ... For this purpose, 5788 patients with symptomatic vascular disease enrolled in the Secondary Manifestations of Arterial Disease Study were followed-up for the occurrence of new vascular events (ie, myocardial infarction, stroke, or vascular death) and all-cause mortality. During a median of 5.0 years (interquartile range: 2.6-8.1 years), 788 patients experienced a new vascular event, and 779 died. Overall, the covariate-adjusted relationship between mean baseline systolic, diastolic, or pulse pressure and the occurrence of vascular events followed a J-curve with increased event rates above and below the nadir blood pressure of 143/82 mm Hg. A similar nonlinear relationship was found for diastolic pressure and all-cause mortality. Elevated blood pressure was not associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with recently diagnosed coronary artery disease, ≥65 years, and having >60 mm Hg pulse pressure. Importantly, especially in these subgroups, low blood pressure could also be a symptom rather than a cause of disease. Blood pressure level below and above 143/82 mm Hg is, thus, an independent risk factor for recurrent events in patients with manifest vascular disease"
• High blood pressure may lead to missed emotional cues - Science Daily, 11/3/11 - "A recently published study by Clemson University psychology professor James A. McCubbin and colleagues has shown that people with higher blood pressure have reduced ability to recognize angry, fearful, sad and happy faces and text passages"
• Influence of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol on arterial stiffening and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in essential hypertension - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011 Oct;13(10):710-5 - "In univariate regression analysis, HDL cholesterol was inversely associated with arterial stiffness parameter and E/Em (r=-0.23 and r=-0.27, respectively, P<.01). The association of HDL cholesterol with arterial stiffness and LV diastolic function was observed in both men and women. Triglycerides were weakly correlated with arterial stiffness parameter and E/Em, while low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol were not. In multiple regression analysis, only low HDL cholesterol was found as an independent predictor for both arterial stiffness and LV diastolic dysfunction. Enhanced arterial stiffness is associated with LV diastolic dysfunction. Low HDL cholesterol may lead to the deterioration of both arterial stiffness and LV diastolic function in patients with essential hypertension"
• The effect of coffee on blood pressure and cardiovascular disease in hypertensive individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug 31 - "In 5 trials, the administration of 200-300 mg caffeine produced a mean increase of 8.1 mm Hg (95% CI: 5.7, 10.6 mm Hg) in systolic BP and of 5.7 mm Hg (95% CI: 4.1, 7.4 mm Hg) in diastolic BP. The increase in BP was observed in the first hour after caffeine intake and lasted ≥3 h. In 3 studies of the longer-term effect (2 wk) of coffee, no increase in BP was observed after coffee was compared with a caffeine-free diet or was compared with decaffeinated coffee. Last, 7 cohort studies found no evidence of an association between habitual coffee consumption and a higher risk of CVD ... In hypertensive individuals, caffeine intake produces an acute increase in BP for ≥3 h. However, current evidence does not support an association between longer-term coffee consumption and increased BP or between habitual coffee consumption and an increased risk of CVD in hypertensive subjects"
• Poor sleep quality increases risk of high blood pressure - Science Daily, 8/29/11 - "SWS, one of the deeper stages of sleep, is characterized by non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) from which it's difficult to awaken ... people with the lowest level of SWS had an 80 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure ... Good quality sleep is the third pillar of health ... People should recognize that sleep, diet and physical activity are critical to health, including heart health and optimal blood pressure control"
• Blood pressure changes are age-related - Science Daily, 6/14/11 - "blood pressure changed at four phases throughout life: a rapid increase during adolescent growth; a gentler increase in early adulthood; a midlife acceleration (usually in the 40s); and finally for a period during late adulthood in which blood pressure increases slowly and then reverses ... Wider evidence suggests that this might in part reflect modifiable blood pressure-related factors such as diet and lifestyle that can vary with differences in social and economic circumstances ... The findings also support the wide body of evidence that show a strong link between body mass index and blood pressure throughout life"
• Midlife and Late-Life Blood Pressure and Dementia in Japanese Elderly: The Hisayama Study - Hypertension. 2011 May 9 - "We followed up a total of 668 community-dwelling Japanese individuals without dementia, aged 65 to 79 years, for 17 years and examined the associations of late-life and midlife hypertension with the risk of vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease using the Cox proportional hazards model ... The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of vascular dementia significantly increased with elevated late-life blood pressure levels (normal: 2.3, prehypertension: 8.4, stage 1 hypertension: 12.6, and stage 2 hypertension: 18.9 per 1000 person-years; P(trend)<0.001), whereas no such association was observed for Alzheimer disease (P(trend)=0.88). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, subjects with prehypertension and stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension had 3.0-fold, 4.5-fold, and 5.6-fold greater risk of vascular dementia, respectively, compared with subjects with normal blood pressure. Likewise, there was a positive association of midlife blood pressure levels with the risk of vascular dementia but not with the risk of Alzheimer disease. Compared with those without hypertension in both midlife and late life, subjects with midlife hypertension had an ≈5-fold greater risk of vascular dementia, regardless of late-life blood pressure levels. Our findings suggest that midlife hypertension and late-life hypertension are significant risk factors for the late-life onset of vascular dementia but not for that of Alzheimer disease in a general Japanese population. Midlife hypertension is especially strongly associated with a greater risk of vascular dementia, regardless of late-life blood pressure levels"
• Combined Effect of High-Normal Blood Pressure and Low HDL Cholesterol on Mortality in an Elderly Korean Population: The South-West Seoul (SWS) Study - Am J Hypertens. 2011 Apr 28 - "high-normal blood pressure (HNBP) ... Study, a prospective cohort study of 2,376 elderly Koreans, aged >60 years.ResultsDuring the median follow-up of 7.6 years, 353 deaths occurred from all causes, and 113 of these were attributed to CVD. Prehypertension was nonsignificantly associated with an increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-1.64). Subjects with HNBP exhibited a nonsignificantly higher risk of mortality compared with those with optimal blood pressure by the ESH/ESC guideline (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.84-2.18). However, the combination of low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and HNBP showed a twofold higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.11-3.64) independent of other risk factors. Conclusions Although prehypertension was not associated with increased risk of mortality, individuals in the elderly Korean population with HNBP, especially when combined with low HDL cholesterol, showed a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality"
• Aortic stiffness is reduced beyond blood pressure lowering by short-term and long-term antihypertensive treatment: a meta-analysis of individual data in 294 patients - J Hypertens. 2011 Apr 23 - "meta-analysis of individual data from 15 randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel group trials ... In the short-term and long-term trials, PWV decreased significantly by -0.75 and -1.3 m/s in the active treatment group compared with by +0.17 and -0.44 m/s in the placebo group, respectively. Active treatment was independently related to the changes in PWV and explained 5 and 4% of the variance in the short-term and long-term trials, respectively. In the short-term trials, ACEIs were more effective than calcium antagonists and placebo on improving arterial stiffness. In the long-term trials, ACEI, calcium antagonists, beta-blocker, and diuretic reduced significantly PWV compared to placebo ... Our study shows that antihypertensive treatments improve the arterial stiffness beyond their effect on blood pressure"
• Higher Daily Coffee Intake Not Linked to Hypertension Risk - Medscape, 4/13/11 - "Habitual drinking of 3 cups/day or more of coffee is not associated with an increased risk for hypertension compared with less than 1 cup/day, but this risk was slightly elevated with light to moderate consumption of 1 to 3 cups/day"
• Treating high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 4/13/11 - "After five years, 298 people developed Alzheimer's disease. The others still had mild cognitive impairment. People with risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease and high cholesterol were two times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those without vascular risk factors. A total of 52 percent of those with risk factors developed Alzheimer's disease, compared to 36 percent of those with no risk factors ... Of those with vascular risk factors, people who were receiving full treatment were 39 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those receiving no treatment. Those receiving some treatments were 26 percent less likely to develop the disease compared to people who did not receive any treatment ... Although this was not a controlled trial, patients who were treated for their high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes had less progression of their memory or thinking impairment and were less likely to develop dementia"
• Habitual coffee consumption and risk of hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Mar 30 - "habitual coffee consumption of >3 cups/d was not associated with an increased risk of hypertension compared with <1 cup/d; however, a slightly elevated risk appeared to be associated with light-to-moderate consumption of 1 to 3 cups/d"
• Blood pressure: 100 million Americans may be unnecessarily labeled abnormal - Science Daily, 3/9/11 - "in people aged over 50, those with SBPs above 140, independent of DBP, were significantly more likely to die prematurely. In those aged 50 or less, DBPs above 100 were linked to significant increases in premature death. The authors' analysis offers alternative cut-off points for the definition of 'normal"
• Napping may help with blood pressure management - Science Daily, 2/28/11 - "those participants who slept for at least 45 minutes during the day had lower average blood pressure after psychological stress than those who did not sleep ... The average sleep duration is now almost 2 hours shorter per night than it was 50 years ago. And this could be impacting our long-term health. For example, sleeping less has been linked to an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular problems generally ... One group was allotted a 60-minute interval during the day when they had the opportunity to sleep; the other group did not sleep during the day ... daytime sleep seemed to have a restorative effect with students in the sleep condition reporting lower scores of sleepiness than those who did not sleep. Although blood pressure and pulse rates rose in both groups between baseline and the stress phase, during the recovery phase, those who had napped had significantly lower average blood pressure readings than those who had not slept"
• Groundbreaking technology will revolutionize blood pressure measurement - Science Daily, 2/20/11 - "The new technology uses a sensor on the wrist to record the pulse wave and then, using computerised mathematical modelling of the pulse wave, scientists are able to accurately read the pressure close to the heart. Patients who have tested the new device found it easier and more comfortable, as it can be worn like a watch ... Being able to measure blood pressure in the aorta which is closer to the heart and brain is important because this is where high blood pressure can cause damage. In addition, the pressure in the aorta can be quite different from that traditionally measured in the arm" - Note:  There might be something to this.  It even made BBC News.
• Cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, their ratio and hypertension: evidence of associations in male veterans from the Vietnam Experience Study - J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Feb 10 - "Cortisol and the cortisol:DHEAS ratio were positively associated with hypertension (P<0.001), whereas DHEAS was negatively associated; the latter relationship was attenuated to non-significance (P=0.06) in models that adjusted for age, sociodemographics, place of service, health behaviours and BMI. The present analyses provide confirmation of a positive association between cortisol and the cortisol:DHEAS ratio and population hypertension"
• Two medicines taken together improve control of blood pressure - Science Daily, 1/12/10 - "patients who start treatment with a single tablet containing a combination of drugs will have a 25% better response during the first six months of treatment than patients receiving conventional treatment, and -- remarkably -- are less likely to stop treatment because of side effects"
• The Farther From Town the Lower the Blood Pressure: Report From Rural Yunnan Province - Am J Hypertens. 2010 Dec 16 - "Chinese farmers ... There was a significant (P < 0.001) inverse relationship between BP and distance from populations centers. For every 10 km from the town center, the mean systolic BP (SBP) in the village decreased by 1.2 mm Hg and the mean diastolic by 0.5 mm Hg. After adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, smoking, and drinking, we found that SBP decreased by 1.8 mm Hg (P = 0.03) and diastolic BP by 1.0 mm Hg (P = 0.02) for every 10 km distance from the town center"
• Higher Blood Pressure Associated With Higher Cognition and Functionality Among Centenarians in Australia - Am J Hypertens. 2010 Dec 16 - "Average age of participants was 101.1 years. Hypertension was demonstrated in 1% according to the WHO criterion (≥140/90 mm Hg). However, 38% of centenarians were hypertensive, defined as having a medical diagnosis of hypertension, and/or being on antihypertensive medications, and/or having a BP measurement ≥ 140/90 mm Hg. Mean values were: systolic = 130 mm Hg (90-182 mm Hg), diastolic = 70 mm Hg (44-98 mm Hg), and pulse pressure (PP) = 60 mm Hg (20-130 mm Hg). Hypercholesterolaemia was only detected in 8% of participants. Hypertension was not associated with increased risk of hypercholesterolaemia. Low systolic BP (SBP) and narrower PP was associated with lower MMSE scores. High SBP and wider PP was associated with better functional status"
• What Is the Optimal Blood Pressure in Patients After Acute Coronary Syndromes?: Relationship of Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Events in the Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (PROVE IT-TIMI) 22 Trial - Circulation. 2010 Nov 8 - "The relationship between BP (systolic or diastolic) followed a J- or U-shaped curve association with primary, secondary, and individual outcomes, with increased events rates at both low and high BP values, both unadjusted and after adjustment for baseline variables, baseline C-reactive protein, and on-treatment average levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. A nonlinear Cox proportional hazards model showed a nadir of 136/85 mm Hg (range 130 to 140 mm Hg systolic and 80 to 90 mm Hg diastolic) at which the incidence of primary outcome was lowest. The curve was relatively flat for systolic pressures of 110 to 130 mm Hg and diastolic pressures of 70 to 90 mm Hg. Conclusions- After acute coronary syndrome, a J- or U-shaped curve association existed between BP and the risk of future cardiovascular events, with lowest event rates in the BP range of approximately 130 to 140 mm Hg systolic and 80 to 90 mm Hg diastolic and a relatively flat curve for systolic pressures of 110 to 130 mm Hg and diastolic pressures of 70 to 90 mm Hg, which suggests that too low of a pressure (especially <110/70 mm Hg) may be dangerous"
• Children with high blood pressure more likely to have learning disabilities, study finds - Science Daily, 11/9/10
• Persistence of Mortality Reduction After the End of Randomized Therapy in Clinical Trials of Blood Pressure-Lowering Medications - Hypertension. 2010 Oct 25 - "We evaluated the persistence of mortality benefit of these agents after the end of clinical trials, when all of the patients were advised to take the same open-label therapy. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials using blood pressure-lowering medications, used in patients with hypertension, myocardial infarction, or left ventricular systolic dysfunction, (n=18; 132 854 patients; 11 988 deaths) when a second report describing results after the end of the trial was available. During the randomized (first) phase, 80% (interquartile range: 75% to 83%) of the patients randomized to receive active therapy actually received it compared with 16% (interquartile range: 7% to 22%) of those randomized to control. In this phase, mortality was lower in the intervention group (odds ratio: 0.84 [95% CI: 0.79 to 0.90]; P<0.0001). Mortality was also lower during the open-label follow-up (second) phase (odds ratio: 0.85 [95% CI: 0.79 to 0.91]; P<0.0001), when all of the patients were advised to take the same therapy, and rates of receiving active therapy were similar in the 2 groups (59% [interquartile range: 46% to 77%], among those originally randomized to active, and 43% [interquartile range: 20% to 68%], in the control). Several sensitivity analyses indicated stability of the effects. In studies of antihypertensive medications, a decrease in overall mortality persists after the end of trial phase, when most patients in both the intervention and control groups receive active therapy. These analyses imply that earlier intervention would result in better clinical outcomes"
• Long-term exposure to elevated blood pressure and mortality from cardiovascular disease in a Japanese population: the Ibaraki Prefectural Health Study - Hypertens Res. 2010 Oct 7 - "Multivariate HRs (95% confidence interval) associated with a 10 mm Hg increase in systolic BP were measured in 1993 and 1998, and their averages were 1.11 (1.05-1.16), 1.13 (1.07-1.18) and 1.17 (1.10-1.27), respectively. Multivariate HRs for a 10 mm Hg increase in time-averaged systolic BP were 1.12 (1.03-1.21) in men and 1.24 (1.13-1.35) in women. The subgroup analysis of antihypertensive use showed that multivariate HRs for time-averaged systolic BP were 1.20 (1.11-1.29) in sustained non-users and 1.17 (1.04-1.32) in sustained users. Similar results were also obtained for diastolic BP. In conclusion, long-term exposure to elevated BP substantially associates with excess risk for cardiovascular disease mortality among Japanese subjects, irrespective of antihypertensive medication use. Thus, appropriate management of BP is important in both users and non-users of antihypertensive medication"
• J-curve revisited: an analysis of blood pressure and cardiovascular events in the Treating to New Targets (TNT) trial - Eur Heart J. 2010 Sep 16 - "The relationship between SBP or DBP and primary outcome followed a J-curve with increased event rates above and below the reference BP range, both unadjusted and adjusted (for baseline covariates, treatment effect, and LDL levels). A time-dependent, non-linear, multivariate Cox proportional hazard model identified a nadir of 146.3/81.4 mmHg where the event rate was lowest. A similar non-linear relationship with a higher risk of events at lower pressures was found for most of the secondary outcomes of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal MI, or angina. However, for the outcome of stroke, lower was better for SBP. Conclusion In patients with CAD, a low BP (<110-120/<60-70 mmHg) portends an increased risk of future cardiovascular events (except stroke)"
• Higher Blood Pressure Is Associated With Higher Handgrip Strength in the Oldest Old - Am J Hypertens. 2010 Sep 2 - "In middle-aged subjects, BP and handgrip strength were not statistically significantly associated. In oldest old subjects, higher systolic BP (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP) were associated with higher handgrip strength after adjusting for comorbidity and medication use (all P < 0.02). Furthermore, in oldest old subjects, changes in SBP, MAP, and PP after 4 years was associated with declining handgrip strength"
• High fructose diet may contribute to high blood pressure, study finds - Science Daily, 7/1/10 - "people who consumed a diet of 74 grams or more per day of fructose (corresponding to 2.5 sugary soft drinks per day) had a 26%, 30%, and 77% higher risk for blood pressure levels of 135/85, 140/90, and 160/100 mmHg, respectively. (A normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80 mmHg.)"
• Lowering Systolic BP in Midlife Reduces the Risk of Late-Life Dementia - Medscape, 5/17/10 - "17.7% of cases could be attributed to prehypertension (systolic BP 120 to <140 mm Hg), regardless of treatment status, or 11 excess cases per 1000"
• Doctors 'cause blood pressure to rise' - BBC News, 5/7/10 - "The 'white-coat' effect - where blood pressure rises during a check by a doctor - is even worse in someone whose level is already high ... The effect is due to patients becoming stressed by being in a doctor's surgery or a hospital"
• Lowering Midlife Levels of Systolic Blood Pressure as a Public Health Strategy to Reduce Late-Life Dementia. Perspective From the Honolulu Heart Program/Honolulu Asia Aging Study - Hypertension. 2010 Apr 19 - "Compared with those with SBP <120 mm Hg, untreated, and <50 years of age at baseline, 17.7% (95% CI: 4.6% to 29.1%) of the cases were attributable to prehypertensive levels (SBP: 120 to <140 mm Hg) of SBP, translating into 11 excess cases per 1000. Among those who did not report taking antihypertensive medication in midlife, 27% (95% CI: 8.9% to 42.1%) of dementia cases can be attributed to systolic BP >/=120 mm Hg, translating into 17 excess cases per 1000. Although population-attributable risk estimates for population subgroups may differ by relative risk for dementia or prevalence of elevated levels of blood pressure, these data suggest that reducing midlife systolic BP is an effective prevention strategy to reduce risk for late-life dementia"
• Dementia linked to high blood pressure years earlier - Science Daily, 1/12/10 - "Women who, at the start of the study, were hypertensive, meaning a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher, had significantly more white matter lesions on their MRI scans eight years later than participants with normal blood pressure. Lesions were more common in the frontal lobe, the brain's emotional control center and home to personality, than in the occipital, parietal or temporal lobes"
• Hypertension Linked to White-Matter Disease Progression: Study - Medscape, 1/7/10 - "Long-standing hypertension is strongly associated with progression of white-matter hyperintensity (WMH), which is known to be associated with new or worsening cognitive impairment and dementia"
• High-blood-pressure treatment for the over-80s too aggressive, warns expert - Science Daily, 12/22/09 - "This review includes data from two new trials which looked specifically at the effect of antihypertensive drugs in people over the age of 80. Interestingly, the only trial that found a significant reduction in mortality was the most conservative in terms of number of drugs and dose of drugs allowed. The treatment regime involved three easy steps, with a target blood pressure of 150/80 mmHg"
• Antihypertensive Therapy Slows Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease - Medscape, 9/29/09 - "patients using antihypertensive treatments had significantly higher MMSE scores at 1, 2, and 3 years, compared with patients not taking antihypertensive treatments"
• Health Buzz: Fructose-Heavy Diet Linked to Hypertension and Other Health News - US News and World Report, 9/24/09 - "A small study is among the first to show that regular consumption of fructose-heavy foods and drinks might raise blood pressure—at least in men"
• Heart Risk Factors Cut Life Span by 10 Years - WebMD, 9/18/09 - "A 50-year-old smoker who has a history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol can expect to die a decade earlier than someone of the same age with none of these heart disease risk factors"
• Insulin resistance and risk of incident hypertension among men - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2009 Sep;11(9):483-90 - "The insulin sensitivity index was 6% lower in the cases compared with the controls (P<.001). The multivariable odds ratio for hypertension comparing the lowest with highest quartile of insulin sensitivity index was 1.09 (0.71-1.65) among the entire sample. However, the association between the insulin sensitivity index and incident hypertension differed significantly by age (P interaction <.001). Among men younger than 60 years, the multivariable odds ratio for the lowest compared with highest quartile was 1.93 (1.01-3.71) but was 0.67 (0.37-1.24) among older men. Insulin resistance is independently associated with incident hypertension among younger men"
• High Blood Pressure Linked To Memory Problems In Middle Age - Science Daily, 8/26/09 - "The study found that people with high diastolic blood pressure, which is the bottom number of a blood pressure reading, were more likely to have cognitive impairment, or problems with their memory and thinking skills, than people with normal diastolic readings ... For every 10 point increase in the reading, the odds of a person having cognitive problems was seven percent higher" - [Abstract]
• Higher Diastolic, Not Systolic, Blood Pressure Linked to Impaired Cognition - Medscape, 8/25/09 - "Higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels, but not systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels, can impair cognitive status in individuals without prior history of stroke or transient ischemic attack"
• Prehypertension is associated with insulin resistance - QJM. 2009 Aug 7 - "All subjects received a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the measurements of IR. RESULTS: The prehypertensive subjects were more obese and had higher levels of fasting triglycerides and 2-h insulin than the normotensives. The subjects with prehypertension were more insulin resistant than the counterparts, indicated by lower insulin sensitivity index, ISI(0,120), values. While there was no difference between the two groups in insulin response of OGTT after adjustments for confounders, the prehypertension group maintained significant between-group differences in glucose response even when the incremental insulin levels were added to covariates for adjustments. DISCUSSION: Our data show that prehypertension is associated with IR. The subjects with prehypertension have clinical characteristics of the IR syndrome. It seems that the prehypertension group cannot handle oral glucose challenge as well as the normotension, probably a consequence of IR in prehypertension"
• Blood Pressure Targets: Aiming Lower Offers No Benefit, Review Finds - Science Daily, 7/7/09 - "At present there is no evidence from randomized trials to support aiming for a blood pressure target lower than 140/90, in the general population of patients with elevated blood pressure ... The review is based on the results of seven trials, which together involved 22,089 people. Whilst patients aiming for targets below 135/85 mmHg did succeed in achieving greater reductions in blood pressure than those in the standard target group, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of the number of patients dying or suffering heart attacks, strokes, heart failure or kidney failure"
• White-Coat Hypertension Not Benign - WebMD, 6/29/09
• Less Sleep Associated With High, Worsening Blood Pressure In Middle Age - Science Daily, 6/11/09 - "After excluding patients taking medication for high blood pressure and controlling for age, race and sex, the researchers found that individuals who slept fewer hours were significantly more likely to have higher systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure ... Each hour of reduction in sleep duration was associated with a 37 percent increase in the odds of developing high blood pressure"
• Blood-pressure-lowering Drugs Should Not Be Limited To People With High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 5/19/09 - "Blood pressure lowering drugs should be offered to anyone old enough to be at risk of a heart attack or stroke (or who is otherwise known to be at risk), regardless of their blood pressure ... using any one of the main classes of blood pressure lowering drugs at standard dose reduced fatal and non-fatal heart attacks by about a quarter and stroke by about a third. Heart failure was also reduced by about a quarter. The reductions in disease were similar in people with and without clinical cardiovascular disease and regardless of blood pressure before treatment ... three drugs together, each at low dose to minimize side effects, could increase the preventive effect, reducing heart attacks by about 45% and stroke by about 60%"
• High Blood Pressure Could Be Caused By A Common Virus, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 5/16/09 - "A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common viral infection affecting between 60 and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease"
• FDA Approves Triple Combination Pill for Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 4/30/09 - "has approved a once-daily triple combination pill consisting of amlodipine, valsartan, and hydrochlorothiazide (Exforge HCT) for the treatment of hypertension"
• Chronic Insomnia With Short Sleep Duration Is Significant Risk Factor For Hypertension - Science Daily, 4/9/09 - "participants with insomnia and an objectively measured, severely short sleep duration of less than five hours had a risk for hypertension that was 500 percent higher than participants without insomnia who slept more than six hours. People with insomnia and a moderately short sleep duration of five to six hours had a risk for hypertension that was 350 percent higher than normal sleepers"
• Heart Disease: Combined Treatment Is Best - WebMD, 3/23/09 - "Heart disease patients who achieve normal blood pressure and very low cholesterol levels with aggressive drug therapy do better than patients who achieve only one of these goals ... Patients who achieved LDL levels below 70 and systolic blood pressures of below 120 had the slowest progression, as measured by increase in plaque volume"
• Is It Really Only Our Kidneys That Control Blood Pressure? - Science Daily, 3/13/09
• High Systolic Pressure a Positive Sign in Chronic Heart Failure - Medscape, 1/5/09 - "In patients with chronic heart failure, higher systolic blood pressures paradoxically predict better survival ... The decrease in mortality rates associated with a 10 mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure was 13.0%...in the heart failure population ... in patients with cardiac disease but without chronic heart failure affecting systolic function, mean arterial blood pressure is largely determined by peripheral vasoconstriction, and higher systolic pressure indicates poor elasticity of the arteries ... In patients with heart failure, however, systolic pressure reflects the ejection fraction and cardiac output ... a higher blood pressure is associated with a decreased mortality as it serves as an indirect measure of cardiac function"
• High Blood Pressure May Make It Difficult For The Elderly To Think Clearly - Science Daily, 12/15/08 - "subjects whose average systolic blood pressure was 130 or higher saw a significant decrease in cognitive function when their blood pressure spiked ... study subjects whose average blood pressure was low or normal saw no change in their cognitive functioning – even when their blood pressure shot up"
• High Blood Pressure In The Doctor's Office May Not Predict Heart Risks - Science Daily, 11/26/08 - "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, or measuring blood pressure at regular intervals throughout the day, is increasingly important in managing patients with this condition because of the possibility of a white-coat effect (when an individual only has high blood pressure at the physician's office)" - See Omron HEM-712C Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor with IntelliSense.  I preferred this one of the more expensive models from the same company because I hated the so called "Comfit cuff" plus I doubt if anyone uses the computer options or the ridiculous memory of past readings.
• Obesity Linked to Erectile Dysfunction - WebMD, 10/31/08 - "conditions related to obesity, particularly hypertension (or high blood pressure), are the most significant causes of obesity-related erectile dysfunction. Abnormal penile blood flow was found to be linked to high blood pressure"
• Blood Pressure and Fasting Plasma Glucose rather than Metabolic Syndrome Predict Coronary Artery Calcium Progression: The Rancho Bernardo Study - Diabetes Care. 2008 Oct 13 - "In older adults without known heart disease, blood pressure levels and fasting plasma glucose were better independent determinants of CAC progression than MetS itself"
• High Levels Of Uric Acid May Be Associated With High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 8/26/08 - "In the study, half of the 30 teen-agers with newly diagnosed high blood pressure and higher than normal levels of uric acid in their blood underwent treatment with allopurinol twice a day for four weeks. The other half received a placebo (an inactive drug) on the same schedule. They then went without either drug for two weeks before receiving the opposite treatment for another four weeks ... blood pressures decreased to normal in 20 of the 30 teens when they were on allopurinol. By contrast, only 1 of the 30 teens had normal blood pressure when receiving placebo"
• Blood Pressure Response To Daily Stress Provides Clues For Better Hypertension Treatment - Science Daily, 8/14/08 - "Research shows that two-thirds of patients’ high blood pressure is not controlled despite the best efforts of their doctors. That is terrible ... Studies will explore fundamentals such as why about 30 percent of young healthy blacks and 15 percent of whites can’t effectively excrete sodium, a problem that raises blood pressure by increasing the body’s fluid volume. “We think there is a defect in their kidneys, in the normal mechanisms that allow them to excrete salt,” ... America’s current obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic also has them looking at insulin, glucose and cholesterol levels and whether fat exacerbates all the factors they are following, which they believe it does"

• Single Mechanism For Hypertension, Insulin Resistance And Immune Suppression - Science Daily, 6/30/08 - "spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) ... protein receptors on the surface of SHR cells become clipped off as the animals develop hypertension. They used a novel visualization technique to show that after several weeks of ingesting doxycycline in their drinking water, the SHR rats developed cells that again bristled with normal CD18 and insulin receptors. The animals' metabolic conditions simultaneously improved; blood pressure normalized and symptoms of immune suppression disappeared" - Note: I was taking Periostat (low dose doxycycline, 20 mg) for two reasons, the help prevent gum disease and to lower CRP.  Now I have a third reason.  See doxycycline at OffshoreRx.com (you can use a pill cutter to quarter the pills).  See:

  • Low-dose Periostat (Doxycycline) Shows Benefits in Patients with Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 11/20/02 - "At six-month follow-up, sub-antimicrobial dose doxycyline significantly reduced CRP levels by 45.8 percent compared to baseline values (p<0.05). The drug was also associated with a 33.5 percent reduction in interleukin-6 and a 50 percent reduction in metalloproteinase ... The findings are exciting, since research is now showing that CRP is both a key marker of inflammation leading to future acute coronary events, but also that CRP itself may contribute to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis"
    • Blood Protein Predicts Stroke Risk - HealthDay, 6/23/03 - "whether the substance [CRP] is an independent risk factor for these episodes or merely a reflection of narrowed and crumbling arteries hasn't been entirely clear ... New research now suggests that the molecule, called C-reactive protein (CRP), is indeed its own oddsmaker ... The cholesterol-fighting drugs known as statins have been shown to lower CRP by about 25 percent or so, Stein says. However, it's not clear that that effect reduces cardiovascular trouble or increases survival"
• Hypertension: Systolic Pressure Key - Medscape, 6/17/08 - "The diagnosis of hypertension in patients aged over 50 years should focus exclusively on the systolic blood pressure, rather than using both systolic and diastolic as is current practice, according to three experts in the field"
• Reduction in Blood Pressure With Statins: Results From the UCSD Statin Study, a Randomized Trial - Arch Intern Med. 2008 Apr 14;168(7):721-7 - "Statins modestly but significantly reduced BP relative to placebo,by 2.2 mm Hg for SBP (P = .02) and 2.4mm Hg for DBP"
• Statins Lower Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/11/08 - "We found that statins lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that the effect extends to patients with pre-hypertension, with normal blood pressure, and persons not on blood-pressure lowering medications"
• Blood pressure and mortality among Chinese patients with cardiovascular disease - J Hypertens. 2008 May;26(5):859-865 - "For example, compared with those with a systolic BP less than 120 mmHg, patients with a systolic BP of 120-129, 130-139, 140-159, 160-179, and at least 180 mmHg had relative risks (95% confidence interval) of 1.28 (0.92, 1.78), 1.62 (1.19, 2.20), 2.09 (1.58, 2.77), 2.31 (1.73, 3.10), and 2.66 (2.01, 3.53) for CVD mortality, and 1.08 (0.84, 1.38), 1.26 (1.00, 1.60), 1.44 (1.17, 1.79), 1.57 (1.25, 1.96), and 1.86 (1.50, 2.30) for all-cause mortality (both P values < 0.0001 for linear trends), respectively"
• Significant Reductions In Mortality Shown Using Blood Pressure-lowering Treatment In Very Elderly - Science Daily, 3/31/08 - "Lowering the blood pressure of elderly patients could cut their total mortality by a fifth and their rate of cardiovascular events by a third"
• 2-drug Blood Pressure Therapy Dramatically Lowers Cardiovascular Risk - Science Daily, 3/31/08 - "One group received a tablet containing benazepril, which is a type of drug called an ACE inhibitor, and amlodipine, which belongs to a class of drugs known as calcium channel blockers or CCBs. The other pill combined benazepril and hydrochloro-thiazide, a type of diuretic or "water pill." The 20 percent reduction in cardiovascular events was observed with the ACE/CCB combination tablet"
• High Blood Pressure Runs in Families - WebMD, 3/24/08
• Why Certain Diabetes Drugs Appear To Lower Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 3/4/08 - "Drugs called thiazolidinediones (TDZs), which are used to treat type II diabetes, target and activate PPAR gamma. In addition to controlling blood sugar, these drugs also appear to lower blood pressure ... It appears that when PPAR gamma is activated it initiates a cascade of events that protect the blood vessel ... When we interfere with the PPAR gamma pathway, those protective mechanisms are eliminated and the blood vessel becomes dysfunctional" - I've read all the negative of thiazolidinediones (TDZs) and I still feel the good outweight the bad.  I take Actos (pioglitazone HCl) to help prevent diabetes among other thing like I feel they will eventually show that it helps prevent advanced glycation end products, a major cause of aging.
• High Blood Pressure Linked to Kidney Cancer Risk - Medscape, 3/4/08 - "Hypertension is an important risk factor of RCC, accounting for approximately 20%-30% of cases"
• Meat intake and the risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women - J Hypertens. 2008 Feb;26(2):215-222 - "Red meat intake was positively associated, whereas poultry intake was unassociated, with the risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women"
• Blood Pressure and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Chinese Men and Women - Am J Hypertens. 2008 Jan 10 - "Our results indicate that there is a strong, linear, and independent relationship between BP levels and the risk of CVD in Chinese adults. Systolic BP is a stronger predictor of CVD risk compared to diastolic BP"
• Can Your Brain Control Your Blood Pressure? - Science Daily, 1/11/08
• Timing of Blood Pressure Measurement Related to Caffeine Consumption (January) - Ann Pharmacother. 2007 Dec 19 - "Reviews of caffeine's acute effect on blood pressure indicate changes of 3-15 mm Hg systolic and 4-13 mm Hg diastolic. Typically, blood pressure changes occur within 30 minutes, peak in 1-2 hours, and may persist for more than 4 hours"
• Most Adults With Conditions That Increase Cardiovascular Disease Risk Have High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "High blood pressure was found in most persons with cardiovascular diseases and related problems ... 75 percent or more were being treated for hypertension, but only one-third to one-half of those in treatment reached goal levels for blood pressure (140/90 milligrams of mercury for most patients, or 130/80 milligrams of mercury for patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease)"
• Blood Pressure Drugs: Is Timing Key? - WebMD, 12/13/07 - "The study was small, involving just 32 patients with chronic kidney disease taking more than one blood pressure medication ... When the patients switched just one of their blood pressure drugs from morning to bedtime, 28 experienced normalization of nighttime blood pressure patterns within eight weeks ... Most patients also showed decreases in protein levels in their urine indicative of better kidney function"
• High Blood Pressure Associated With Risk For Mild Cognitive Impairment - Science Daily, 12/12/07 - "Hypertension (high blood pressure) was associated with an increased risk of all types of mild cognitive impairment that was mostly driven by an increased risk of non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment ... Preventing and treating hypertension may have an important impact in lowering the risk of cognitive impairment"
• High Blood Pressure May Heighten Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 11/28/07 - "Having hypertension, or high blood pressure, reduces blood flow in the brains of adults with Alzheimer's disease"
• 13% of Americans Have Kidney Disease - WebMD, 11/6/07 - "Thirteen percent of Americans now have chronic kidney disease, up 3% over the last decade, mostly due to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure ... A recent CDC report on the same NHANES data suggested that 17% of Americans have chronic kidney disease. Coresh and colleagues came up with a lower number because the CDC analysis included people with earlier signs of kidney disease, while the Coresh team counted only those with persistent kidney disease"
• High Blood Pressure Or Irregular Heartbeat Linked To Alzheimer's Disease Progression - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "10 with high blood pressure (systolic pressure over 160) at the time of AD diagnosis showed a rate of memory loss roughly 100 percent faster than those with normal blood pressure ... 10 with atrial fibrillation at the time of the diagnosis showed a rate of memory decline that was 75 percent faster than those with normal heartbeats"
• High Blood Pressure May Vary by Season - WebMD, 11/5/07 - "people with high blood pressure may need higher doses of medication or even different drugs in the winter months ... Blood pressure was nearly 8% less likely to return to normal in the winter than in the summer ... weight and exercise may play a role in the seasonal variations ... People gain weight in the winter and lose weight in the summer"
• When Treating High Blood Pressure, Simplicity is Best, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "initiate therapy with ACE-inhibitor/diuretic or Angiotensin receptor blocker/diuretic combination ... up-titrate combination therapy to the highest does ... add a calcium channel blocker and up-titrate ... add one of the non-first line antihypertensive agents" - I'm not a doctor but still feel people should stay away from diuretics.  See my research on first line treatments.  Also see the Alternative News section of my hypertension page.
• Drugs For Hypertension May Help Prevent And Treat Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 10/26/07 - "mice genetically determined to develop Alzheimer's disease beta-amyloid production and subsequent cognitive deterioration, significantly benefit from the treatment with the anti-hypertensive agent Valsartan, found to pharmacologically prevent beta-amyloid production in the brain even when delivered to Alzheimer's disease mice at doses 3-4 fold lower than the minimal equivalent dose prescribed for the treatment of hypertension in humans. Other anti-hypertension drugs with beneficial results included Propranolol HCI, Carvedilol, Losartan, Nicardipine HCI, Amiloride HCI and Hydralazine HCI" - Note:  I'm big on Micardis (telmisartan).  Valsartan and losartan (generic names so they shouldn't have been capitalized) are also ARBs.  I'm wondering if telmisartan was in the study.
• Statin Use Linked to Better Blood Pressure Control - Medscape, 10/23/07 - "After adjustment for demographics, body mass index, diabetes, smoking, exercise, low-salt diet, and antihypertensive medications, the odds ratio for having blood pressure under control was 1.46 for statin users compared with nonusers"
• Women With High Or Increasing Blood Pressure Are Up To Three Times More Likely To Develop Diabetes - Science Daily, 10/9/07 - "women who have high blood pressure levels are three times more likely to develop diabetes than women with low blood pressure levels ... The authors suggest a possible mechanism for the relation between BP and diabetes may be endothelial dysfunction -- a dysfunction of the normal biochemical processes carried out by the layer of cells that line the inner surfaces of blood vessels. "It may be a precursor of both hypertension and diabetes," ... the progression of endothelial dysfunction may cause worsening of both BP and blood glucose. This is in line with the fact that both BP and blood glucose occur together as part of the metabolic syndrome"
• High Blood Pressure May Be Due To Excess Weight In Half Of Overweight Adults - Science Daily, 9/28/07 - "about 50 percent of overweight, hypertensive adults, ranging in age from 29 to 65 years, achieved normal body weight and blood pressure after six months of treatment with a reduced-calorie diet"
• Use of Statins and Blood Pressure - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Sep;20(9):937-941 - "Compared with people not using statin medication, significantly more statin users had their blood pressure under control (52.2% v 38.0%). After adjustment for demographic factors, statin users were two times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46 to 2.72) more likely to have their blood pressure under control (<140/90 mm Hg) than nonusers. After further adjustment for body mass index, diabetes, smoking, exercise, low-salt diet, and antihypertensive medications, the likelihood of having blood pressure under control remained more likely among statin users (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.05)"
• Heavy Drinking Raises Blood Pressure In Older Men Regardless Of 'Good' Cholesterol - WebMD, 8/31/07 - "When looking at men of all ages, those with the lowest level of good cholesterol had the highest blood pressure in all three groups: nondrinkers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers. However, high levels of good cholesterol HDL did not do as much for the heavy drinkers"
• Pioglitazone Decreases Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetics With Difficult-to-Control Hypertension - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2007 Jul;9(7):530-7 - "add-on therapy with pioglitazone 30 to 45 mg for 20 weeks. After 20 weeks of treatment, 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring showed significant reductions (from 144+/-13 to 136+/-16 mm Hg systolic BP and from 79+/-9 to 76+/-10 mm Hg diastolic BP [P=.001]). Treatment was also associated with improvements in insulin sensitivity and glycemic and lipid profile"
• Predictors of antihypertensive drug responses: initial data from a placebo-controlled, randomized, cross-over study with four antihypertensive drugs (The GENRES Study) - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Mar;20(3):311-8 - "amlodipine (5 mg), bisoprolol (5 mg), hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg), or losartan (50 mg) daily ... The median BP responses in 24-h ambulatory recordings (systolic/diastolic) were 11/8 mm Hg for bisoprolol, 9/6 mm Hg for losartan, 7/5 mm Hg for amlodipine, and 5/2 mm Hg for hydrochlorothiazide. The highest pairwise within-subject correlations in BP responses were seen for the combinations of bisoprolol-losartan and amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide" - Note:  Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker, bisoprolol is a beta blocker, hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic and losartan is an ARB.  Strange that they didn't include an ACE inhibitor.
• One Pill May Be Better Than Two For Treating Patients With High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 5/11/07 - "Adults with high blood pressure and additional risk factors for heart disease may benefit more from taking one tablet rather than two, if their current treatment combines the lipid-lowering medication atorvastatin with the blood pressure-lowering medication amlodipine"
• Blood pressure 'is in the brain - BBC News, 4/15/07
• Predictors of antihypertensive drug responses: initial data from a placebo-controlled, randomized, cross-over study with four antihypertensive drugs (The GENRES Study) - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Mar;20(3):311-8 - "The median BP responses in 24-h ambulatory recordings (systolic/diastolic) were 11/8 mm Hg for bisoprolol, 9/6 mm Hg for losartan, 7/5 mm Hg for amlodipine, and 5/2 mm Hg for hydrochlorothiazide. The highest pairwise within-subject correlations in BP responses were seen for the combinations of bisoprolol-losartan and amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide"
• Job Stress Jacks Up Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/10/07 - "Their blood pressure was highest on the job, when they had 5.9/3.0 mm Hg higher blood pressure than the nonstressed workers did. But the stressed-out workers also had higher blood pressure while at home, including while they were sleeping"
• Cholesterol Busting Statins Also Reduce Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 3/8/07 - "the use of statins did produce a drop in blood pressure. The overall effect of the use of statins was a 1.9 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and 0.9 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. The effect was even more pronounced in patients with high blood pressure (systolic over 130 mmHg) who showed an average drop of 4.0 mmHg if treated with statins"
• High Blood Pressure: Drugs to Avoid When You Have Hypertension - WebMD, 3/6/07 - "Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) ... Migraine Headache Medications ... Weight Loss Medications"
• Prehypertension Is "On the Map" of Cardiovascular Risk Factors - Doctor's Guide, 2/20/07 - "prehypertension is systolic pressure of 120-139 ... The increased cardiovascular risk with prehypertension is certainly smaller than the risk associated with having diabetes (158% higher risk), but is greater than that associated with smoking (34% higher). Since smoking is pretty much unchallenged as a cardiovascular risk factor, perhaps prehypertension should be afforded the same acceptance"
• Study Finds Differences between Blood Pressure Medicines and Newly-Diagnosed Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 1/19/07 - "the lowest risk of new-onset diabetes occurred with ARBs or ACE-inhibitors, followed by calcium channel blockers or placebo (both of which were relatively neutral), and highest with beta-blockers or diuretics. They concluded that compared to inactive sugar-pills, diuretics or beta-blockers slightly increase the risk of becoming diabetic, whereas ARBs or ACE-inhibitors significantly decrease the risk"
• ARBs May Protect Against Diabetes Better Than ACE Inhibitors - Medscape, 1/19/07 - "Odds ratio of diabetes ... ARBs ... 0.57 ... ACE inhibitors ... 0.67 ... Calcium blockers ... 0.75 ... Placebo ... 0.77 ... Beta blockers ... 0.90 ... Diuretics (reference) ... 1.00"
• Fasting Glucose Increases in Older Adults With Hypertension Regardless of Treatment Type - Medscape, 11/16/06 - "randomized to receive treatment with chlorthalidone, amlodipine, or lisinopril to reduce blood pressure to less than 140/90 mm Hg ... During the first 2 years, the mean increase is serum glucose levels was 8.5, 5.5, and 3.5 mg/dL among the chlorthalidone, amlodipine, and lisinopril groups, respectively" - Note:  Chlorthalidone is a diuretic, amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker and lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor.
• Systolic Blood Pressure Predicts Mortality In Heart Failure Patients - Science Daily, 11/9/06 - "heart failure patients with higher systolic blood pressures had substantially lower death rates compared to patients with lower systolic pressures, and that lower systolic pressures may indicate more advanced disease and a poorer prognosis"
• Estrogen and hypertension - Curr Hypertens Rep. 2006 Oct;8(5):368-76 - "emerging evidence from recent clinical trials indicates a small increase, rather than decrease, in systolic BP with oral estrogen administration in postmenopausal women, without any detectable effect on diastolic BP ... transdermal delivery of estrogen, which avoids the first-pass hepatic metabolism of estradiol, appears to have a small BP-lowering effect in postmenopausal women and may be a safer alternative in hypertensive women"
• Long Hours Up High Blood Pressure Risk - WebMD, 8/28/06
• Effects of a New Hormone Therapy, Drospirenone and 17-{beta}-Estradiol, in Postmenopausal Women With Hypertension - Hypertension. 2006 Jun 26 - "these data show that DRSP combined with E2 significantly reduces BP in postmenopausal women with hypertension and did not induce significant increases in serum potassium"
• Elderly Blood Pressure Variability Affects Cognitive Function - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/06 - "study suggested that lowering the systolic BP by 20 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure by 10 mm Hg would have a considerable beneficial effect on the preservation of cognitive abilities in the whole population"
• Experts Explore Potential Benefits of Treating Prehypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/06 - "compared to placebo over a four-year period, treatment of prehypertension with Atacand© (candesartan cilexetil) significantly reduced the relative risk of developing hypertension"
• Medication Slowed Progression to Hypertension - Intelihealth, 5/19/06 - "people with pre-hypertension who received candesartan -- an anti-hypertensive drug -- had a significantly reduced risk of developing high blood pressure compared with those who received a placebo"
• Blood Pressure and Women's Sex Drive - WebMD, 5/19/06 - "women with high blood pressure were twice as likely to experience sexual dysfunction compared with their counterparts who had normal blood pressure"
• Antihypertensive Agents May Be Linked to Decreased Risk for Alzheimer Disease - Medscape, 5/9/06 - "The use of any antihypertensive medications significantly reduced the risk of developing AD (adjusted HR, 0.64). This result did not vary by sex, APOE status, subjects' blood pressure values, or the duration of antihypertensive use ... potassium-sparing diuretics had the most significant affect on the risk of AD ... this effect was almost entirely due to the effects of potassium-sparing agents"
• Blood Pressure Test? What to Do First - WebMD, 4/25/06
• Wait a Few Minutes: Blood Pressure Readings Lower when Patients Slow Down - Doctor's Guide, 4/20/06 - "systolic blood pressure can be an average of 14 points higher when taken immediately after arriving in the exam room and sitting on an examination table rather than sitting in a chair with your back supported and feet flat on the floor"
• Sustained Blood Pressure Treatment Lowers Dementia Risk In Elderly - Science Daily, 4/10/06 - "each year of treatment reduced the risk of developing dementia during the follow-up period by about 3 percent. Compared with men who were never treated for hypertension, the risk of developing dementia during the follow-up period was: ... 60 percent lower in those treated more than 12 years -- similar to the risk in a control group of 446 men with normal blood pressure"
• Skimpy Sleep May Up Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/3/06 - "Among people aged 32-59, those who reported getting less than six hours of nightly sleep in the original survey were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with high blood pressure"
• Loneliness May Drive Up Blood Pressure - WebMD, 3/29/06
• Prescribing Patterns Indicate Failure to Treat Hypertension and High Cholesterol at the Same Time - Doctor's Guide, 3/15/06 - "even though high blood pressure and high cholesterol are almost always linked, they are not being treated simultaneously"
• Hypertension Drugs May Cut Alzheimer's - WebMD, 3/13/06 - "People taking drugs for high blood pressure -- especially certain diuretics -- were less likely to have developed Alzheimer's"
• Aggressive Blood Pressure Lowering: Is It the Only Approach? An Expert Interview With Matthew R Weir, MD - Medscape, 1/12/06 - "It is sometimes said that ARBs and ACE inhibitors don't lower BP quite as much as the other classes of antihypertensive drugs -- is that correct? ... within the full dosing range within the package insert, large population studies clearly show that they are all the same in their antihypertensive effects. When intermediate doses of individual drugs are chosen, often there is less BP reduction. Using the recommended doses in large populations, you will see very similar degrees of BP reduction whether you are using a thiazide-type diuretic, a beta-blocker, an ARB, an ACE inhibitor, an alpha-blocker, or a CCB"
• Cola Drinks May Boost Blood Pressure - WebMD, 11/8/05
• No Link Found Between Caffeine Intake and Development of Hypertension in Women - Doctor's Guide, 11/8/05 - "When studying individual classes of caffeinated beverages, habitual coffee consumption was not associated with increased risk of hypertension. By contrast, consumption of cola beverages was associated with an increased risk of hypertension, independent of whether it was sugared or diet cola"
• Viewpoint: How Low Should Blood Pressure Go? - Medscape, 10/7/05 - "How low should the blood pressure go? A meta-analysis of 61 trials of blood pressure control demonstrated that mortality appeared to decrease proportionally with blood pressure, all the way down to a pressure of 115/75.[5] Future research might find even lower healthy thresholds for blood pressure. Until then, physicians should encourage patients to reduce their blood pressure to < 120/80"
• Brain May Benefit by Lowering Blood Pressure - WebMD, 9/7/05 - "lowering blood pressure may halt or slow the progression of brain abnormalities called white matter hyperintensities (WMH) ... WMH may be accompanied by dementia, depression, and trouble with walking"
• Newer Blood Pressure Drugs Beat Out Older Ones - WebMD, 9/6/05
• Blood Pressure Over Normal? Nip It in the Bud - WebMD, 8/4/05 - "If your blood pressure is notching above normal, it's to your heart's advantage to stop that trend as soon as possible"
• High Blood Pressure Often Uncontrolled - WebMD, 7/26/05
• Better Blood Pressure, Longer Life? - WebMD, 6/28/05 - "Men and women with normal blood pressure at age 50 lived five more years than those with higher blood pressure"
• Salt Kicks Hypertension Up A Notch - Science Daily, 6/7/05
• Men With Diabetes, Hypertension, or Hyperlipidemia More Likely to Be Hypogonadal - Doctor's Guide, 5/25/05 - "In men with a history of hypertension, 42% were hypogonadal"
• Erectile Dysfunction Seen in Men With Prehypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/05
• Why Your Blood Pressure Isn't Dropping At Night - mercola.com, 5/18/05 - "If you're noticing your blood pressure levels aren't dropping at night, there's a real good reason, according to a new study: Your blood sugar levels are probably elevated"
• Combo Drug Controls Hypertension In Hard-to-treat Patients - Science Daily, 5/18/05 - "the combination pill of irbesartan (an angiotensin II receptor blocker) and a diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide ... the participants' systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped an average of 21.5 points, from 154.4 to 132.9 points. Their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) fell an average of 10.4 points, from 91.3 to 80.9" - Yeah, but what about impotence from the diuretic?
• Bedtime Dosing of Atorvastatin and Valsartan Together Improves Overall Anti-Hypertensive Effects - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/05 - "When valsartan was dosed by itself during the day, patients averaged a 9 mmHg fall in systolic blood pressure; daytime dosing of both valsartan and atorvastatin resulted in a 17 mmHg reduction in the 24-hour mean of systolic and diastolic BP"
• Multiple Blood Pressure Measurements in the Office Conquer "White Coat" Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/05
• Definition of Hypertension Could Change Again - WebMD, 5/16/05 - "The new definition released this weekend changes this; it classifies "normal individuals" as having normal blood pressure, loosely defined as a systolic pressure of 115 and a diastolic pressure of 75 PLUS no signs of heart disease or stroke, few if any risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and no apparent damage from high blood pressure to the kidneys or other organs"
• Blood Pressure Linked to Erectile Dysfunction - WebMD, 5/16/05 - "if a man's blood pressure is anything but normal, he may have a higher risk of erectile dysfunction ... Thirty-five percent had some degree of erectile dysfunction, compared with 14% of men without high blood pressure ... In men with high blood pressure, 20% of those taking no medication had erectile dysfunction, while 36% on one medication and 47% on more than one reported erectile dysfunction ... Men on older high blood pressure medications (diuretics, beta-blockers) had higher rates and more severe erectile dysfunction than men on newer medications (calcium antagonists, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers)"
• Timing May Affect Blood Pressure - WebMD, 6/16/05
• Both Beer, Red Wine Raise Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/18/05 - "Compared with the men who did not drink any alcohol, the red wine drinkers had a nearly a 2.5 point jump in their systolic blood pressure. Beer drinkers' blood pressure rose nearly two points"
• Hypertension: On The Pill? Tell Your Dentist - Science Daily, 12/23/04
• Alcohol Without Food Boosts Blood Pressure - WebMD, 12/21/04
• At-Home Blood Pressure Devices Get High Marks - WebMD, 12/21/04
• Drinking Without Food May Set You Up For High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 12/17/04 - "even light to moderate alcohol intake outside of meals puts drinkers at risk for hypertension"
• Asthma, Emphysema Drug May Weaken Bones - WebMD, 12/16/04
• Blowing A Gasket - Time Magazine Cover Story, 12/6/04 - "Only about a third of all patients in treatment for high blood pressure have their numbers under control. Over the course of our lives, perhaps 90% us will develop a blood-pressure problem"
• System That Regulates Blood Pressure May Also Affect Aging - Science Daily, 11/22/04
• High Blood Pressure Related Decline in Cognitive Function Affects Adults Young and Old - Doctor's Guide, 10/5/04 - "To the extent that BP (blood pressure) effects on cognition are not reversible, it is important to prevent an increase in BP levels as early as possible in the life cycle"
• High Blood Pressure Harms Young Adult Brains - WebMD, 10/4/04
• More Guidelines, CCBs, ACEs, and ARBs, and Novel Predictors - Medscape, 9/14/04
• Top Blood Pressure Number Is Key in Seniors - WebMD, 8/31/04
• Under-Recognized Condition Important In Treatment of High Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 8/31/04
• Higher Blood Pressure, Less Emotion? - WebMD, 8/27/04
• 1 in 3 Adults Has High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 8/23/04
• The Deep-Breath Test and White-Coat Effect - Medscape, 7/19/04
• Higher Serum Aldosterone Levels Associated with Increased Blood Pressure and Increased Risk of Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 7/1/04
• Pravastatin Can Significantly Decrease Systolic Blood Pressure in Moderately Hypertensive Patients With Hyperlipidaemia - Doctor's Guide, 6/17/04 - "Pravastatin 10 mg/day and probucol 500 mg/day were used during each treatment period ... Systolic blood pressure (BP) decreased significantly by 4.7 mm Hg after pravastatin treatment"
• Job Strain and Marital Stress Can Raise Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 5/24/04 - "Job strain was significantly associated with higher 24-hour systolic blood pressure compared to those without job strain, resulting in an average 5 mm Hg elevation in blood pressure"
• A 15-Minute Sitting Period Needed for Accurate Office Blood Pressure Reading - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/04
• Why Is Hypertension in Chronic Kidney Disease Treated Differently than Other Hypertension? - Doctor's Guide, 4/30/04
• Home Blood Pressure Tests Predict Risk Better - WebMD, 3/16/04
• Blood Pressure Drugs Don't Discriminate - WebMD, 2/26/04
• Many Patients with White Coat Hypertension Remain Undetected Based On Ambulatory and Home Blood Pressure Monitoring - Doctor's Guide, 2/3/04
• White Coat Hypertension Associated with Greater Cardiovascular Risk - Doctor's Guide, 1/26/04
• Combination Blood Pressure Therapy Provides More Benefit Than Monotherapy - Doctor's Guide, 1/16/04 - "Combined treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) appears to be more effective in reducing left ventricular mass than are high doses of individual agents"
• Antihypertensive Therapy Also Results in Improvements in Platelet, Endothelial and Haemorheological Function in High-Risk Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 1/8/04
• Insulin Resistance May Be an Important Factor in Nondipper Essential Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 12/5/03 - "This may suggest that insulin resistance plays an important role in the aetiology of nondipper essential hypertension"
• Systolic Better Than Diastolic Or Pulse Blood Pressure As Indicator Of Mortality Risk - Doctor's Guide, 11/4/03 - "Rising systolic blood pressure is the clearest indicator for increased risk of death compared to other blood pressure measurements ... Systolic pressure, which is the higher number and first number in a blood pressure reading, measures the force of blood in the arteries as the heart contracts to push blood through the body"
• NHLBI Study Finds Hostility, Impatience Increase Hypertension Risk - Intelihealth, 10/22/03
• Bad Attitude Raises Blood Pressure Risk - WebMD, 10/21/03
• Target Organ Damage Begins Before Hypertension is Diagnosed - Doctor's Guide, 10/13/03 - "optimal blood pressure (<120/80 mm Hg); normal pressure (<130/85 mm Hg); and high normal (130-139/85-89 mm Hg) ... Signs of target organ damage were seen in 7% of patients with optimal blood pressure, 13% of patients with normal pressure, and 23% of patients in the high normal group"
• Hypertension Reduces Task-Specific Blood Flow to Brain - Doctor's Guide, 10/3/03 - "people with high blood pressure "recruit less blood to the brain than people with normal blood pressure." He said the hypertension-associated changes are subtle and he likened them to premature aging of the brain ... blood flow between hypertensives and normotensives were most apparent in the posterior regions of the brain and the image results, "correlated to slightly worse scores -- perhaps a point or two lower -- on the memory tests.""
• Low-Dose Spironolactone Effective Add-On for Multi-Drug Resistant Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 10/3/03
• Joe Montana beats high blood pressure - USA Today, 9/30/03 - "according to the NIH's seventh report from the Joint National Commission, while approximately 34 million people take blood pressure medication, 47% do not have their disease under control ... The new JNC-7 guidelines advocate a much more stringent control of blood pressure ... According to the JNC-7, any blood pressure level above 115 over 75 increases your risk"
• High Blood Pressure Damages Organs - WebMD, 9/23/03 - "as blood pressure increased, so did the likelihood of kidney and heart damage. In fact: ... 7% of people with optimal blood pressure (less than 120/80) had some organ damage ... 13% with normal pressure (less than 130/85) had some damage ... 23% with high-normal pressure (130-139/85-89) had damage"
• High Blood Pressure Causes Memory Lapse? - WebMD, 9/23/03 - "some short-term memory lapses often attributed to aging may actually result from having high blood pressure"
• Selection of Antihypertensive Therapy Depends on Category of High-Risk Hypertensive Patient - Doctor's Guide, 9/16/03 - "Blood pressure (BP) goal for diabetics is less than 130/80 mm Hg, which may require 3 antihypertensive agents. Studies suggest that an acceptable regimen should include an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) (in those intolerant of ACE inhibitors) plus a thiazide diuretic, calcium channel blocker, (CCB) or beta-blocker ... For patients with renal disease, ARBs have proven effective in slowing renal disease in patients with diabetic nephropathy"
• Standard Blood Pressure Cuffs May Produce Inaccurate Readings In Obese Persons - Doctor's Guide, 8/19/03
• Insulin Resistance May Be a Common Cause of Treatment-Resistant Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/03 - "They suggest that hyperinsulinaemia may increase blood pressure by several mechanisms, including stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, increasing renal sodium re-absorption, activating the Na+/H+ countertransport, and enhancing vessel wall cell proliferation and reactivity"
• VALUE Trial Data Suggest Blood Pressure Goals and Treatment Algorithms Can Improve BP Control - Doctor's Guide, 7/31/03
• Low-Dose Antihypertensive Combinations May Increase Benefit Compared To Standard Doses Of Fewer Drugs - Doctor's Guide, 7/16/03 - "Combinations of two or three drugs at low dose are…preferable to one or two drugs at standard dose," Dr. Law and colleagues note. "Everyone at increased risk would benefit from using three drugs, apart from those with contraindications to a particular drug."
• Think You Have Normal Blood Pressure? - WebMD, 5/13/03 - "In new blood pressure guidelines just released today, experts have created a new category of "prehypertension," which now puts many more people -- who thought they had normal blood pressure -- at risk of heart disease ... If your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 or your diastolic blood pressure is between 80 and 89, you have a new condition called "prehypertension." Some people in this range need drug treatment. Everyone in this range needs what doctors call "lifestyle modification." This means losing weight, eating a low-fat/low-salt diet, getting regular exercise, and drinking less"
• Europeans Have Much More Hypertension - WebMD, 5/13/03
• Alcohol Linked With High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 5/8/03
• Medications for Heart Failure - WebMD, 5/6/03
• Femhrt Increases Endothelial Dysfunction in Postmenopausal Non-Smokers - Doctor's Guide, 5/6/03 - "Femhrt subjects showed a statistically significant mean increase in vasodilation versus placebo in healthy women who never smoked ... Prempro and Evista showed no such endothelial benefits for this subgroup or the smoker group"
• Renin Substrate Levels Decrease with Transdermal Hormone Therapy and Increase with Oral Hormone Therapy - Doctor's Guide, 5/6/03 - "Oral Prempro (conjugated equine estrogen/medroxyprogesterone) appears to increase plasma levels of renin substrate (angiotensinogen) to a significantly greater extent than CombiPatch (estradiol/norethindrone) ... The problem is that increases in the renin substrate (RS) can trigger activity in [renin-angiogenesis-aldosterone system] that can lead, in turn, to higher blood pressure and, possibly, hypertension"
• Motivation Key to Blood Pressure Control - WebMD, 4/22/03
• Electrocardiograms Have Limited Value In Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 4/15/03
• Retinal Abnormalities Age-Related Macular Degeneration Associated With Hypertension, Pulse Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/03 - "Retinal abnormalities in older people without diabetes are related to hypertension. Higher blood and pulse pressure are also associated with an increased incidence of macular abnormalities, including wet and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)"
• Patient Involvement in Blood Pressure Management Can Prevent Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 4/7/03
• Blood Pressure Rises Decades Before Diabetes Develops - Doctor's Guide, 4/7/03 - "Elevations in blood pressure precede the development of type 2 diabetes in middle age by 20 to 25 years"
• Morning Surge In Blood Pressure Associated With Stroke In Elderly Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 3/31/03
• Low Blood Lead Levels Associated With Hypertension In Middle-Aged Women - Doctor's Guide, 3/26/03 - "From a public health prospective, the most important and troubling implication of these findings is that lead appears to increase blood pressure in women at very small increments above 1.0 (mu)g/dL, well below what is considered deleterious in adults"
• Knowing Your Blood Pressure Could Help Save Your Life - WebMD, 3/24/03 - "30% of those with systolic readings of 140 mm Hg or higher did not understand that they had high blood pressure. And three-quarters of the respondents believed that their diastolic reading was the most significant number ... patients are not the only ones to underestimate the importance of high blood pressure. Many doctors, he says, are still reluctant to put older patients with moderately elevated systolic pressure on medication because they often complain of feeling weak or dizzy at the goal of 140 mm Hg. In the telephone survey, 40% of patients said their doctors did not recommend treatment unless systolic blood pressure was higher than 160 mm Hg"
• High Blood Pressure Causes More Eye Damage in Blacks Than Whites - WebMD, 3/24/03 - "In it, authors detail their investigation of retinopathy -- damage to small blood vessels in the retina, which causes vision loss and is one of the most easily detectable signs of damage caused by high blood pressure"
• Hypertension Linked With Enhanced Thrombogenic Activity Post-Infarction - Doctor's Guide, 3/17/03
• White Coat Hypertension Associated With Lower Homocysteine Levels Than Sustained Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 3/13/03
• New Blood Pressure Guidelines for Blacks - WebMD, 3/10/03
• Blood Pressure Reduction Only Transient After Weight Loss - Doctor's Guide, 2/20/03
• Low Blood Pressure and Risk of Dementia in the Kungsholmen Project: A 6-Year Follow-up Study - Archives of Neurology, 2/03 - "Subjects with very high systolic pressure (>180 vs 141-180 mm Hg) had an adjusted relative risk of 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-2.3; P = .07) for Alzheimer disease, and 1.6 (95% CI, 1.1-2.2) for dementia ... high diastolic pressure (>90 mm Hg) was not associated with dementia incidence, whereas extremely low diastolic pressure (65 vs 66-90 mm Hg) produced an adjusted relative risk of 1.7 (95% CI, 1.1-2.4) for Alzheimer disease and 1.5 (95% CI, 1.0-2.1; P = .03) for dementia"
• Frequent Runny, Stuffy Nose May Boost High Blood Pressure Rate in Men - WebMD, 2/18/03 - "The abnormal breathing events caused by sleep apnea causes immediate consequences that lead to elevated blood pressure, including a drop in arterial blood oxygen ... Like snoring, rhinitis is characterized by "upper respiratory resistance" and may produce similar effects on blood pressure ... If you're a man who is prone to runny or stuffy nose -- whether year-round or during certain seasons -- the researchers suggest you pay particularly close attention to your blood pressure"
• Hypertension, Stalking the "silent killer" - Physician's Weekly, 2/17/03 - "If you¹re just hypertensive, the goal is 140/90; if you are diabetic and you have kidney disease, the goal is 130/85; and if you have kidney disease and also spill protein in your urine, then the goal is even lower at 125/75 ... Physicians need to be more aggressive about getting people into good blood pressure control ... you shoot for a goal; if you don¹t get it you increase the dose. If that doesn't work, then you add another drug, and then you increase that dose ... patients need more than one drug most of the time ... when you get very close using just one drug, both doctor and patient are less likely to add another medication to get to goal. There is some education we need to do"
• Blood Pressure Linked To Cognitive Performance In Elderly Men - Doctor's Guide, 2/11/03 - "Diastolic blood pressure at 68 years of age showed an inverse relationship to men's performance on verbal, spatial and speed assessments when tested at 81 years ... systolic blood pressure at 68 years showed an inverse relationship with spatial performance"
• Regular Alcohol Consumption Could Lower Cardiovascular Morbidity In Hypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 2/10/03 - "Regular consumption reduces concentrations of serum lipoprotein(a), a powerful predictor of organ damage ... Compared with teetotallers and occasional drinkers, however, median lipoprotein(a) concentrations were 21% lower in light drinkers (those consuming up to 20 grams of ethanol daily), 26% lower in moderate drinkers (21-50 grams daily) and 57% lower in heavy drinkers (over 50 grams daily)"
• Anti-hypertensive Therapy May Depend On Time Of Day - Doctor's Guide, 1/27/03
• Blood Pressure Control -- Timing Matters - WebMD, 1/24/03 - "Researchers found that the diuretic and calcium-channel blocker were effective around the clock. The beta-blocker was the least effective of the four drugs overall and it had no effect on blood pressure during the night or in the early morning hours. ACE inhibitors actually worked best while the study participants were sleeping, but had little effect on blood pressure during the day"
• People With Hypertension Accurately Self-Record Blood Pressure, But White Coat Effect Remains Influential - Doctor's Guide, 1/21/03
• Sodium Inhibitor Might Promote Hypertension In Insulin Resistance - Doctor's Guide, 1/20/03
• Some Born With High Blood Pressure Risks - Intelihealth, 1/9/03 - "people with fewer nephrons -- or filtering units -- in their kidneys were more susceptible to the condition"
• Reduced Blood Pressure Correlated With Leptin After Weight Loss In Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 1/6/03
• New Method Proposed for Assessing Salt Sensitivity - Doctor's Guide, 1/2/03
• BP Lowering May Halt Descent Into Dementia - Clinical Psychiatry News, 12/02 - "Dr. Hansson served as cochair of SCOPE, a 15-nation study in which 4,937 mildly hypertensive patients aged 70-89 were randomized to the angiotensin-receptor blocker candesartan or diuretic-based therapy. Serial Mini-Mental Status Exams (MMSEs) conducted during more than 18,000 patient-years of follow-up demonstrated that among individuals with a baseline MMSE of 24-28—indicative of normal to slightly impaired cognitive function—those in the candesartan arm had a mean 0.5-point decline in MMSE scores during follow-up, compared with a 6-point drop in those on a diuretic. The cognitive benefit was even more pronounced in patients over age 85"
• Biological Factors Predominate in Hypertensive Perimenopausal Women - Doctor's Guide, 12/16/02
• Hypertension Increases May Be Lower with Celecoxib than with Rofecoxib - Doctor's Guide, 12/12/02 - "Elderly patients with hypertension who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) for arthritis or other conditions may see fewer adverse effects on blood pressure with celecoxib than with rofecoxib"
• Two Antihypertensives Can Achieve Desired Effect In Most Patients - Doctor's Guide, 12/11/02
• Subjects With White Coat Hypertension Do Not Show Endothelial Dysfunction - Doctor's Guide, 12/4/02
• That Sense Of Urgency May Bring On Hypertension - Intelihealth, 11/21/02
• Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatories, Acetaminophen Associated With Increased Risk For Hypertension Among Women - Doctor's Guide, 11/19/02 - "A substantial proportion of hypertension in women may be due to the use of acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ... Compared with nonusers, the relative risk of hypertension for women taking NSAIDs at least 22 days a month was 1.86 while the relative risk for those taking acetaminophen at least 22 days a month was 2.00, they reported ... Use of NSAIDs and use of acetaminophen were significantly associated with increased risk of hypertension, but aspirin use was not"
• White-Coat Effect Reversed In Patients With Highest Blood Pressure Levels - Doctor's Guide, 11/13/02
• Cardiovascular Remodeling More Prevalent In Isolated Systolic Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 11/5/02
• Study Gauges Risks To Heart - Intelihealth, 11/6/02 - "Untreated high blood pressure doubles a person's risk [of congestive heart failure] ... High blood pressure results when the arteries stiffen or narrow, forcing the heart to overwork and enlarge ... A 40-year-old man whose blood pressure is less than 140 when his heart contracts, the top number, has a 15% lifetime risk of developing heart failure, compared with a 28% risk for a 40-year-old man whose pressure tops 160"
• Inflammation May Increase Stroke Risk In Men With Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 11/1/02 - "The study found that men with systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) at or above 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and elevated levels of inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins (ISP) were four times as likely to have a stroke as were men who had normal blood pressure and normal ISP levels. Moreover, the inflammatory proteins predicted stroke risk for 10 or more years." - See my inflammation page for ways to reduce it.
• Patient Perceptions Vital In Continuing Antihypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 10/23/02
• Cholesterol, Blood Pressure Problems Outweigh Genetics for Alzheimer's Risk - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/02 - "having a cholesterol level of 250 mg/dL or greater increased the risk for Alzheimer's disease by threefold, compared with cholesterol levels below that ... Systolic blood pressure (SBP) greater than 160 mm Hg increased the risk by 2.4, compared with SBP less than 140 mm Hg"
• Blood Pressure Medication Preserves Cognitive Function In Older African-Americans - Doctor's Guide, 10/14/02
• Blood Pressure Meds Help Heart and Mind - WebMD, 10/14/02
• Blood Pressure Drugs Keep Brain Healthy - KGTV.com, 10/14/02 - "the continuous use of medications to lower blood pressure reduced the risk of memory loss by more than one-third"
• Atorvastatin Shown to Decrease Heart Disease and Stroke in Patients with Hypertension And Low Cholesterol - Doctor's Guide, 10/11/02
• Researchers Halt Successful Study On Cholesterol, Blood Pressure - Intelihealth, 10/11/02 - "Researchers in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes trial were giving the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin to patients who have normal or low levels of cholesterol but are at a risk of a heart attack or stroke because they have high blood pressure or other risk factors ... patients taking the prescription drug had significantly fewer strokes and heart attacks than those taking a placebo"
• Significant Blood Pressure Differences Between Arms May Indicate Increased Risk Of Morbidity And Mortality - Doctor's Guide, 10/10/02
• High Pulse Pressure May Help Identify Young Hypertensives At Higher Risk Of Cardiovascular Events - Doctor's Guide, 10/2/02
• Circulating Uric Acid Level Is Predictor Of Weight Gain And Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 9/30/02
• Treating To Lower Blood Pressure Goal Reduces Aortic Stiffness - Doctor's Guide, 9/30/02 - "Treating non-diabetic hypertensive patients to a target goal of less than 130/85 mm/Hg appears to significantly reduce aortic stiffness, while treating to a goal of less than 140/90 mm/Hg had no effect on aortic stiffness ... the findings suggest that clinicians should treat to "a low target rather than simply treating to a goal of less than 140/90 mm/Hg.""
• Super-Low BP May Reverse Heart Damage - WebMD, 9/27/02 - "the lower you go, the more likely you will be able the reverse the heart damage caused by high blood pressure ... lowering blood pressure to less than 130/85 reverses the arterial stiffness caused by high blood pressure"
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea Could Be Related To Resistant Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 9/27/02
• Sildenafil Improves Arterial Pressure and Compliance in Hypertensive Heart Transplant Recipients - Doctor's Guide, 9/27/02
• Among Treated Hypertensive Patients, Low HDL Predicts Ventricular Remodeling - Doctor's Guide, 9/26/02 - "While low HDL cholesterol levels are well known to be a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, it is unclear whether it plays a role in hypertensive heart disease ... The findings suggest that low HDL-C may play an adverse role not only in coronary heart disease but also in hypertensive heart disease" - See my HDL page for ways to raise it.
• Primary Care Drug Therapy for Hypertension Poorly Tailored to Individual Patients - Doctor's Guide, 9/24/02 - "The task of the primary care physician is to help the patient achieve a blood pressure level that puts cardiovascular risks at their lowest possible level ... They found that treatment achieved adequate blood pressure control in 16.5 percent of subjects at systolic/diastolic BP <140/90 mm Hg ... The doctors used beta-blockers with 51.6 percent of the patients, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors with 31 percent, diuretics with 23.5 percent, calcium channel blockers with 19.6 percent and methyldopa with 3.0 percent" - I can't figure out why the newer ARBs aren't more popular.  The following was in today's (9/25/02) JAMA (losartan is an ARB and atenolol is a beta-blocker) - Ben:
  • Effects of Losartan on Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality in Patients With Isolated Systolic Hypertension and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: A Losartan Intervention For Endpoint Reduction (LIFE) Substudy - JAMA, 9/25/02 - "Blood pressure was reduced by 28/9 and 28/9 mm Hg in the losartan and atenolol arms. The main outcome was reduced by 25% with losartan compared with atenolol, 25.1 vs 35.4 events per 1000 patient-years ... Patients receiving losartan had reductions in the following without a difference in the incidence of myocardial infarction: cardiovascular mortality (8.7 vs 16.9 events per 1000 patient-years ... nonfatal and fatal stroke (10.6 vs 18.9 events per 1000 patient-years ... new-onset diabetes (12.6 vs 20.1 events per 1000 patient-years ... total mortality (21.2 vs 30.2 events per 1000 patient-years ... Losartan decreased ECG-LVH more than atenolol (P<.001) and was better tolerated"
• White Coat Effect Linked With Increased Blood Pressure Response To Physical Activity - Doctor's Guide, 9/18/02
• Strategies Outlined For Primary, Secondary Prevention of Stroke - Doctor's Guide, 9/18/02 - "The most recent evidence suggests that there are four primary prevention strategies for stroke: adequate blood pressure reduction, treatment of hyperlipidemia, antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation patients and antiplatelet therapy in myocardial infarction patients"
• Low-Dose Acetylsalicylic Acid may Interfere With ACE Inhibition in Type I Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 9/4/02 - "Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, Aspirin) may increase systolic blood pressure in type 1 diabetic patients, especially in those taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors ... Compared to those not taking ASA, patients taking ASA had higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) (151 plus or minus 1 versus 134 plus or minus 1 mmHg; p<0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (84 plus or minus 1 versus 80 plus or minus 1 ... Similarly, in patients without CVD and not taking antihypertensive drugs (n=37), SBP was still higher in those taking ASA (142 plus or minus 3 mmHg) compared to the 1042 participants who were not taking it (128 plus or minus 1 mmHg)"
• Pulse Pressure Linked To Cardiovascular Mortality Among Type 2 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 9/3/02
• Adult Disease Theory Challenged - Intelihealth, 8/30/02 - "scientists conclude that the reported link between low birth weight and higher blood pressure later in life, an early cornerstone of the theory, may not be as strong as previously thought. Because of flaws in the studies, it may not exist at all"
• Depression May Be A Modifiable Risk Factor For Poor Compliance With Antihypertensive Therapy - Doctor's Guide, 7/31/02 - "the investigators found that depression was significantly associated with non-compliance with [antihypertensive] therapy"
• Caffeine's Effect on Blood Pressure - WebMD, 5/17/02 - "Thirty minutes after the caffeine was given [250 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of 2-3 cups of coffee)], there was a big jump in the stiffness of their arteries, said Vlachopoulos. The effect peaked after 60 minutes and remained significant for at least three hours ... This led to an 11 point jump in systolic blood pressure -- the top number -- and an 8 point jump in diastolic blood pressure -- the bottom number"
• Drug Algorithm Helps Clinicians Control Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/02
• Doxazosin Gastrointestinal Therapeutic System (GITS) Effective for Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/02
• Diastolic Function Differs Between Male and Female Hypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 5/14/02
• Hypertensive "Non-Dippers" May Experience Disturbed Sleep - Doctor's Guide, 5/9/02
• Obesity Prompts High Blood Pressure in Kids - WebMD, 5/7/02
• Hypertension Linked With Higher Cancer Mortality - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/02
• Beating High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/19/02 - "By requiring healthcare providers to increase treatment if the participants were not at goal, the study found that 90% of the patients were able to get their diastolic (bottom blood pressure number) under 90 mmHg, and 60% got their systolic (top number) under 140 mmHg. That success rate is several times higher than the national average of only 27% of patients aged 18-74 with high blood pressure who reach their blood pressure goals"
• Socioeconomic Problems Associated With Developing Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 3/25/02
• No Link Seen Between Hypertension And Headache - Doctor's Guide, 3/25/02
• High Blood Pressure Kills Sex - WebMD, 3/21/02 - "the problem may not be with blood flow alone. New research suggests plummeting levels of the male hormone testosterone could partly be to blame"
• Systolic, Not Diastolic, Blood Pressure Best For Assessing Cardiovascular Risk - Doctor's Guide, 3/19/02 - "Systolic blood pressure is a good predictor of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease in hypertensive men ... In contrast, measurements of diastolic blood pressure are of little value in predicting cardiovascular risk"
• Patients Need More Education About Effects of Increased Systolic Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 3/19/02 - "hypertensive patients were usually aware that they had high blood pressure, they frequently did not understand the importance of increased systolic blood pressure levels ... Improved recognition of the importance of systolic blood pressure is a major public health challenge in the prevention and treatment of hypertension ... Thirty-two percent of patients correctly identified systolic blood pressure as the "top" number of their reading"
• Systolic, Not Diastolic, Blood Pressure Has More Impact On Staging - Doctor's Guide, 3/18/02
• Abnormal Low-Density Lipoprotein Particles Predominate In Untreated Hypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 3/13/02
• Coffee Intake and Risk of Hypertension: The Johns Hopkins Precursors Study - Archives of Internal Medicine, 3/26/02 - "After adjustment for the variables listed above, however, these associations were not statistically significant ... Conclusion  Over many years of follow-up, coffee drinking is associated with small increases in blood pressure, but appears to play a small role in the development of hypertension"
• Post-Exercise Blood Pressure Reduction Clinically Relevant In Elderly Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 3/12/02 - "They also experienced a 22-hour post-exercise blood pressure reduction. This result shows that low-intensity exercise is clinically relevant in elderly patients with hypertension"
• A Little Alcohol Keeps Blood Pressure Down - WebMD, 3/11/02
• Middle Aged at Risk for High BP - WebMD, 2/26/02
• Variability Of Office Diastolic Blood Pressure Predicts Myocardial Infarction - Doctor's Guide, 2/26/02
• Docs Undertreating High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 2/25/02
• Healthy Heart: The Ugly Truth About Hypertension - Intelihealth, 2/20/02 - "the real goal isn’t to get your blood pressure under 140/90 mm Hg. “Optimal” blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg ... If the numbers are about 130/85, they should recognize that they have a problem"
• Blood Pressure Drugs Relax Heart, Reduce Heart Failure Risk - Doctor's Guide, 2/12/02
• Blood Pressure Drugs Help the Heart - WebMD, 2/11/02 - "It's the first time researchers have documented structural changes in the heart's main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, and improved heart function through the use of blood pressure-lowering (antihypertensive) medications ... The patients received one of two blood pressure-reducing drugs -- either Cozaar, or Tenormin (atenolol), a beta-blocker ... After a year, the participants were examined again, and researchers found the treatment reduced blood pressure by an average of 23 mmHg systolic and 11 mmHg diastolic. Heart size was also reduced by an average of 10%, which led to improved blood flow into the heart's main pumping chamber ... At the start of the study, only 15% of the participants had normal blood flow into the left ventricle, but after a year of treatment with blood pressure-lowering medications that number grew to about 26%. In addition, researchers found an improvement in the heart's ability to relax, and stiffness was reduced"
• Pulse Pressure a Better Predictor of Mortality than Mean Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 1/28/02
• Amlodipine and chlorthalidone equally effective for stage I isolated systolic hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 1/28/02
• Mother's Diet During Pregnancy May Influence Child's Blood Pressure Later In Life - Intelihealth, 1/17/02 - "Pregnant women who consume a diet rich in animal protein and low in carbohydrates may be more likely to have children with elevated blood pressure later in life"
• Under-Controlled Hypertension Paves Way For Other Ills - Doctor's Guide, 1/16/02
• White Coat Effect Accounts For A Quarter Of Resistant Hypertension Cases - Doctor's Guide, 12/27/01
• 'White-Coat' High Blood Pressure Damages Heart - WebMD, 12/12/01 - "Compared with people who had normal blood pressure, those with white-coat high BP did, in fact, have evidence of damage to their heart. Their hearts were bigger and thicker and even showed signs of less-effective function ... the real question is whether or not to treat people with white-coat blood pressure problems ... Marvin Moser, MD, says that the final answer is not in yet. But in an editorial accompanying the study, he writes that since we know the great benefits of treating high blood pressure and the treatments are not complicated or dangerous, it's a good idea to treat white-coat high blood pressure"
• Left Ventricular Changes Seen in Isolated Office Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 12/10/01
• Study Suggests Blood Pressure That's High Only At Doctor's Office Is Not Harmless - Intelihealth, 12/10/01
• Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Reduce Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 12/6/01
• Getting Vigilant About High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 11/27/01 - "High systolic blood pressure is a powerful predictor of strokes, heart attacks, and death, and must be treated aggressively"
• Increased Prevalence Of Hypertension In Population Exposed To Regular Aircraft Noise - Doctor's Guide, 11/13/01
• Nephrectomy May Improve Blood Pressure Control - Doctor's Guide, 11/13/01
• Study Issues Blood Pressure Warning - Intelihealth, 11/1/01 - "a reading a few points below the official benchmark for high blood pressure significantly increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes ... The lower your blood pressure, the better off you are"
• Is High-Normal Blood Pressure a Medical Misnomer? - WebMD, 10/31/01 - "the risk of heart attack, stroke, or heart failure was roughly twice as high for people with blood pressure readings that were in the high-normal range, compared to people with levels considered to be optimal ... High blood pressure is defined in adults as a systolic pressure (top number) of 140 or higher and a diastolic level (bottom number) of 90 or more ... roughly 13% of adult Americans have high-normal blood pressure, defined as systolic pressure between 130 and 139 and a diastolic pressure of 85 to 89. Those with lower levels have readings considered to be either normal (between 120 and 129 systolic/80 to 84 diastolic), or optimal (a systolic level less than 120 and a diastolic level less than 80)"
• Tackling High Blood Pressure Important for Young and Old Alike - WebMD, 10/15/01 - "Most of the time, doctors think treating systolic hypertension is useless in older patients if they have additional risk factors [for heart disease or stroke] ... We have demonstrated very clearly that this is not true. The patients who often aren't treated are exactly the ones who should be treated"
• Is Your Job Killing You? Maybe - WebMD, 8/15/01 - "The new findings boost a growing body of evidence suggesting that work-related stress including long hours, low reward, hectic pace, and lack of social support can increase a person's risk of heart disease by increasing their blood pressure"
• Is Your Blood Pressure Under Control? - WebMD, 8/15/01
• Discontinuation of Antihypertensive Drugs Due to Adverse Events: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - Medscape, 8/01
• Young men at risk for high blood pressure - USA Today, 6/24/01
• Statins May Be Effective For Controlling Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 6/21/01 - "statin treatment caused a significant (p<0.05) lowering of ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) on the 24-hour (-4 mm Hg), daytime (-5 mm Hg), and nighttime (-3 mm Hg) measurements compared to baseline"
• Replacing Estrogen Via Skin Patch Decreases Nerve Activity, Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women - Doctor's Guide, 6/19/01 - "administering replacement estrogen via a skin patch is superior to oral estrogen replacement therapy in lowering blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity - the neural control of blood pressure - in postmenopausal women"
• Blood Pressure Drugs Cut Stroke Risk - Intelihealth, 6/17/01 - "giving stroke patients blood pressure pills and diuretics could halve the chance of their suffering another stroke"
• High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Linked to Alzheimer's - WebMD, 6/14/01 - "The message is to treat hypertension and hypercholesterolemia early."
• Opinion: The Time Has Come to Emphasize Beta-Blockers for Heart Failure, In Many Patients, They Can Actually Help Heal the Heart - WebMD, 5/30/01 - "probably the most surprising and most useful advance for heart failure in the past several years is a pill that has been around for decades -- the beta-blocker"
• Erectile Dysfunction More Common In Hypertensive Male Smokers - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/01
• Older People Benefit From Antihypertensive Therapy - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/01 - "across all clinical trials, treatment of hypertension in older adults reduces the risk of all types of major cardiovascular events, alone and in the aggregate, and even significantly reduces all- cause mortality"
• Sildenafil For Erectile Dysfunction Effective, Well-Tolerated In Men With Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/01
• Irbesartan Slows Kidney Disease In Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/01
• Lowering High Blood Pressure Can Reverse Some Dementia in the Elderly, Improves Memory and Thinking Limited by Vascular Dementia - WebMD, 5/18/01 - "At 12 weeks, both thinking and memory improved by 15% to 40%, and there were similar improvements in gait and other movements, says Jacobson. These improvements were still present at six months"
• White Coat Hypertension Linked To Insulin Resistance - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/01
• Blood Pressure Control Improves Cognitive Function In Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/01 - "When the tests were repeated at 12 and 24 weeks, patients averaged a 15-40 percent improvement in the areas of executive function, memory, concentration and information processing, as well as spatial skills and some motor function"
• Home Blood Pressure Monitoring May Provide More Accurate Assessment of Overall Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/01
• Under-Treatment of Hypertension Contributing to Chronic KidneyDisease in United States - Doctor's Guide, 5/15/01 - "Hypertension is a leading factor in developing kidney disease. While the majority of people in the study were treated for hypertension, only 11 percent reduced their blood pressure to recommended levels"
• Fast Medication Adjustment, Team Approach Yields Lasting Hypertension Control - Doctor's Guide, 4/23/01
• Blood Pressure Control May Be Key In Preventing Cardiovascular Disease In Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/20/01
• Long-Term Blood Pressure Control Decreases Incidence Of Diabetic Retinopathy - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "DR affects 70-100 percent of patients with diabetes ... the results of this study highlight the importance of using multiple agents in order to achieve and sustain a satisfactory reduction in BP in patients with diabetic renal disease"
• Antihypertensive Control Needed To Delay Progression Of Diabetic Neuropathy - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "Proper control of blood pressure is the single most important factor in delaying the progression of diabetic neuropathy ... majority of such patients require more than a single antihypertensive agent to achieve adequate BP control (£ 130/80)"
• Angiotensin II Antagonist Telmisartan Fights Stiffening Arteries In Hypertensive Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "not only effectively lowered blood pressure compared with placebo, but also significantly decreased arterial stiffness"
• Black Hypertensive Patients Benefit From Combined Angiotensin II Antagonist + Thiazide - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "The combination gave a mean reduction from baseline of 13.3 mmHg, compared with only 4.6 mmHg for telmisartan 80 mg alone and 5.2 mmHg for HCTZ alone (p<0.01). The active treatments produced no more side-effects than placebo did"
• Air Pollution Increases Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/2/01 - "We've learned that increasing concentrations of particulate air pollution affects several cardiovascular health [factors], such as blood pressure"
• High-Normal Serum Creatinine Concentration Is a Predictor of Cardiovascular Risk in Essential Hypertension - Archive of Internal Medicine, 3/26/01
• Ace Inhibitor Aceon (Perindopril) Reduces Systolic And Diastolic Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 3/21/01
• Hormone Replacement Best For Blood Pressure If Taken Within Five Years Of Menopause - Doctor's Guide, 3/19/01
• Diet, Weight Loss, and Drugs Are Keys to Achieving Control of Hypertension - WebMD, 3/15/01 - "High blood pressure that is not controlled can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and other serious consequences ... the best ways to reduce high blood pressure ... is a diet high in vegetables and fruits and complex carbohydrates ... the optimal goal should be blood pressure lower than 120 over 80"
• Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate) Safe, Effective For Men Taking Antihypertensives - Doctor's Guide, 3/6/01
• Blood Pressure, Older Mothers Studied - Intelihealth, 3/4/01 - "Babies born to older mothers tend to have significantly higher than usual blood pressure"
• Are Putters Using Blood Pressure Drugs to Shoot Better? - WebMD, 2/23/01 - "beta-blockers may be giving some golfers an unfair advantage by calming their nerves as they get set to swing.  Beta-blockers reduce the heart rate and the heart's output of blood. These drugs also may reduce the anxiety"
• Cognitive Effects Seen With Mild Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 2/19/01 - "But even in these young, high functioning, mild hypertensives you can find differences and deficits in cognitive function of about 4 Intelligence Quotient (IQ) points."
• Lipid Lowering Drugs Seem to Have Benefits in Hypertension Control - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/00 - "A combination of lipid-lowering statins and an anti-hypertensive drug is more effective than an anti-hypertensive drug alone in reducing blood pressure among high-risk patients"