High blood pressure is one of the most-loved conditions by the pharmaceutical industry. Hypertension medications come in as top sellers, second only to cholesterol drugs.
And as people’s awareness of high blood pressure grows, the guidelines of recommended blood pressure go down. Twenty years ago it used to be 140/90, now it’s 120/80 and many doctors even want to lower it to 110/75.
I frequently receive questions from readers asking exactly why high blood pressure is considered so dangerous, why the numbers keep on changing, and frankly if this is all one big scam to for big pharma to make money.
So in today’s feature article I’ll attempt to answer these questions based on real scientific facts as well as personal observations made throughout the years. I hope you’ll join me in the discussion in the comment section at the end of the article.
The World Health Organization recently gave high blood pressure the questionable honor of being the disease that causes most deaths in the world.
This is very interesting because, unlike cancer, for example, that directly eats up organs, high blood pressure actually doesn’t kill anyone directly.
In fact high blood pressure has absolutely no obvious symptoms. You can have it for years, even decades and feel just great. All studies on dangers of high blood pressure are based on long-term effects it may have to set the stage for other diseases and symptoms.
What high blood pressure does is put extra strain/pressure on your arteries. To deal with the extra pressure, the arteries have to thicken their walls. This makes them less flexible. So when the extra pressure continues, cracks begin to from. To repair the cracks, your body fills them up with plaque – cholesterol for example.
This buildup and hardening of the arteries makes them narrower and less blood is delivered to the organs where the block is located. Although high blood pressure is most often associated with heart attack and stroke, these kinds of blockages can form anywhere in the body. Erectile dysfunction is, for example, often caused partly by the narrowing of the arteries running to the genitals.
This causes a weakening of the organs with the narrowed arteries. You might have shortness of breath if the heart is affected; dizziness, vertigo and fogy thinking if the brain is effected. Long term restrictions of blood flow (even minor) contribute to Alzheimer’s.
But death or other obvious symptoms don’t happen till the plaque buildup in the arteries comes loose for whatever reason and lodges into even narrower parts of the organ completely blocking these arteries. This happens with both stroke and heart attack.
I believe doctors have to keep things in perspective and consider how slow this process really is. If a patient in their seventies comes in and has only recently developed high blood pressure, I would not consider that very serious. Most of us don’t expect to live much longer than mid-eighties anyway. Lifestyle improvements are, of course, always recommended- but side effects of medications can cause more harm than benefit.
However, if you develop high blood pressure in your forties of fifties, you may want to think about ten years ahead and where you will be then.
Whatever age you’re at when your blood pressure begins rising, you should look at it as a warning sign that something is going wrong and lifestyle changes will be beneficial to your health. I’ll come back to this point in a bit.
But first let’s look at the actual guidelines.
Where in the world did doctors come up with the 120/80 guidelines and why are the numbers constantly going down? Why do some doctors want to lower the numbers to 110/75, whereas others are comfortable seeing 130/90?
Well, these numbers are based on pretty extensive, long-term studies on high blood pressure and the risk of developing heart attack and stroke as well as dying within a specific age range. With new technology, scientists can actually measure blood pressure and compare the thickness of the arterial walls as well.
What these studies have revealed is that the risk of heart attack and stroke begins to rise at 110/75 and becomes sharper the higher the blood pressure goes. So this is kind of a risk management. Put otherwise, balancing how far you are ready to go to bring your blood pressure down in exchange for lowering your risk of heart attack.
Here again, however, you have to apply your common sense. Big pharma selling their medications would like all and everyone with even the slightest rise to take drugs. That’s how they make their money. You, however, have to evaluate the risk vs. suffering side effects and cost.
One thing to keep in mind is that although cardiovascular related diseases are the most common cause of death in the Western world, most of these deaths happen after the age of 75, even 85. So the main risk factor is actually growing old. Doubling your risk of heart attack and stroke means something very different in your forties or fifties than eighties.
Furthermore, although high blood pressure medications lower blood pressure, there has been no reliable study that links these medications to lower risk of dying from a stroke or heart attack or improving health in any way. But there are numerous studies showing that they cause serious side effects.
Which leads us to the point I’m most concerned about:
If your blood pressure is going up, there is something causing it to go up. Your body and mind are very advanced tools and they won’t raise your blood pressure without just cause.
And from all the studies I’ve read, as well as personal experience and working with literally thousands of people, I’ve found ONE and only ONE major underlying cause for serious increases in blood pressure.
And it’s not genes. Scientists have not found any gene or combination of genes that count for more than 3-5 points rise in systolic blood pressure. This is not enough to cause hypertension for an otherwise healthy person.
No. The main cause for high blood pressure is stress. And I’m not only talking emotional stress but also physical, mental and sensory stress.
If you’re tackling difficult mental challenges, your blood pressure goes up (mental stress). If you run 100 feet full speed, have back pain, or eat unhealthy food it will also go up (physical stress). You’ll also see increases when you have a big disagreement or fight with your spouse or boss (emotional stress) or are in a crowded street full of people and traffic noise (sensory stress). All this is normal.
The danger is when this normal rise in blood pressure caused by normal stress transfers into chronic high blood pressure. This happens when the increased blood pressure becomes the norm and lower blood pressure feels somewhat uncomfortable for your system.
This is the underlying cause of ALL hypertension in one way or another.
The most effective method I’ve used and seen work for almost every client I’ve worked with are simple exercises that reboot your system to bring the normal blood pressure down below 120/80. These exercises take only a few minutes per day and have been proven to actually reverse the hardening of the arteries as well as other not-so-obvious symptoms of high blood pressure.
You can learn more about these simple, easy blood pressure exercises here…
But first, what do you think? Please leave your comment below.
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I made the mistake of taking that crap for 5 years back in the 90s. Later I lowered my lowered my blood pressure by clearing drugs and other toxins OUT of my system, not putting more in.
makes good sence to me.
What took you so long? My bp is the same as 30 years ago (I am 81) – 140/90, which was deemed to be low back then – yet my doctor tells me it's too high now! What utter rubbish! When asked who paid for the 'new research' he was at a loss for an answer. Surprise surprise. I gave up bp medications COMPLETELY over 2 years ago, and feel a great deal better for doing so. As I said, what took you so long to write some sense about it, and recognise the subsersive role Big Pharma is taking. Btw, I do your exercises…….
I am 65, female, 5’6″, 137 pounds. I began having stress related HBP two years ago, and have been managing it (130/84 this morning) with the DASH diet, mindfulness meditation, and a daily 1 hour yoga class. I would like your comment before I invest in anything further.Thank you.
One of my greateast concerns with blood pressure is that what is normal for one person may not be normal for another. I feel that we need to do more to find out in our twentys what is normal for each individual and that we should keep being checked every five to ten years after that to see what happens. Most checks in the UK are done when you are over forty and no one knows if you’ve always had high blood pressure or if it’s just started. I think that everybody’s body works differently and this should be taken into consideration.
One of my favourite ways of reducing stress is hypnotherapy. I have a CD so I don’t have to go anywhere special and it really works for me. I also try to exercise every day. Mostly it’s pretty gentle but when I feel better I do more (FMS/ME/CF).
Last Christmas my other half who was then 65 had a stroke at the back of his head, which was not recognised as a stroke by the hospital because the usual stroke tests they did were fine and his blood pressure was ‘normal’ – 130/80 . It was only after he had a scan that showed he had scarring that it was diagnosed as a stroke – and his second at that (he had no idea he had had one previously). Besides having ‘normal’ blood pressure his cholesterol level was 5.3, which was not abnormal (but the doctors now want it down to 3 to 3.5) – yet he had a stroke.
I, on the other hand, am 64, have a cholesterol level of 7.3 and a blood pressure of between 138/79 to 149/80 (resting) and am about to start your breathing exercises to bring my bp down, despite feeling fine. For years I ran a bp of 130/80 and it has only risen over the last 3 years or so due to a stressful job – but I retired last year so that stress has been reduced.
I know high blood pressure is not good and neither is low bp – but how far down can it go before it becomes unhealthy?
Exactly! My BP is 140/70 (less in the morning, etc). I brisk walk 5m a day, yoga, daily stretches, 5 lbs weights to keep my muscles toned. I also eat right (depending of fads–but very little carbs and NO sugar-even fruits) and my BP does not go down do 110/65. Perhaps that what it is before my 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning.
I think you are right about what causes high blood pressure.
I am 70 years of age and have recently started doing the excercises. I have brought my systolic BP down by about 20 points to an average of 135. I wonder what I shoulld be aiming for, or is it that continuing with the excercises will make you plateau at the point that is “right” for you.
Another thing: The difference between systolic and diastolic BP is rarely discussed but I have come across indications that it could be as important as the numbers themselves. Any comments?
Dear Christian, Scott, Jodi and Shelley,
I think the contributors would like a response to their questions. It’s really frustrating when people ask questions but nobody answers. I do realise that you are all busy, but so are we your readers and the volume of traffic doesn’t seem too high. Even a generic response – a clarification – would be useful. Your readers accept that you aren’t their doctors.
I’m 87 now, had a mini stroke at 45, a severe heart attack at 60, and at 85 such a mild heart attack that it only showed up in a blood test, but not on an ECG. All due to mental stress. Years ago, my blood pressure was dangerously high, measuring a staggering 210/120 on times. Today, it is a regular 120/70, and I’m happy with that. I take lots of supplements these days, especially several daily CoQ10 100mg as Ubiquinol, and two magnesium taurate for my BP and they seems to work. If I realise I’m stressed, I do some EFT or/and TM, and I’m soon back to normal. Dilys
I am so glad I read your article. My blood pressure has been high since 2001 when my sister died. I didn't know how to handle her death and had to hospitalized from time to time during this period because my blood pressure kept going up too high. Today, my pressure is still very high and I am still taking pills that are really not controlling it. Lately, I noticed that emotional stress is to blame. Recently, with the doctor talking to me in the hospital emergency room he noted that when he would give me bad news about my condition my blood pressure would go up. This happened twice during my stay. Your article have made me more aware. I will make some adjustment to my life style, foods and exercises. Thank you!
Thank God!
I'm 63 , had a heart attack in 2003 , wheras they put a stent in a 90% blocked artery.I take 5 pills a day , I walk , run and play , but since taking these pills I feel worse than I ever did, and yet everyone says no it can't be because of the pills.I thought I was in great shape before the attack up until I split with my girlfriend , and suffered through an emotional downfall.As soon as I think about not following doctors orders I become more stressed out , so what am I supposed to do?
I feel that some of the orthodox B/P medications actually stress the body out
and cause the pressure to rise even higher!
1964,on my first ever visit to an orthodox GP(to confirm that I was pregnant)
I was told that my blood pressure was high,(125/75)and prescribed diuretics
and beta blocking medication plus thalidomide for morning sickness (which meant that my little baby was born with no arms) and I suffered stress which has lasted all of my life since then! The Beta Blockers even CAUSED Diabetes!
Despite many drugs my B/P continued to rise, bringing with it Heart Attacks,
Strokes, Diabetes and,despite many medications it is still high, now 245/130!
my blood pressure goes up while I am sleeping. My daughter believes I have a bad dream or pressure from things that occure during the day such as the killing in the temple. I worry that I may be not being good to God and my daughter tells me that God is able to take care of himself and I should not worry about him. Thank you for all your help. sincerely Harriet. I am now 83 years old amd my goal is 102.
One is lucky to get 10 minutes time with a PCP-Diagnosises are not real.The
Medical world is slipping in their performance.Sure,surgery can help,if the
correct analysis has been made.BUT,this mass pill-prescribing is not doing the
job.Read the accounts of people cutting back on their meds,andfeeling better,
suffering from few problems in not atking the prescribed meds.
What we need is good old fashioned listening to what the Patient is saying!!
I think you are correct. My blood pressure is fine until I go to work then my head starts to feel squeezed and tight and I check myy pressure and it is up. Its never like that at home. I am a nurse so my job is very stressful.
I agree that it would be helpful to receive replies from the experts. I am a subscriber and find the exercises beneficial, but it would be good to have the above questions answered.
Great information as always, loved the DUCK-representing QUACKS! I am 64 & 2 years ago my blood pressure was 140\90 with Blue Herons hypertension program it remains steady at 120/80 -the emotional release portion of this program actually puts me to sleep door a short power nap.
I am very concerned about taking blood pressure meds which I have been on for
years. I keep asking my doctors if I can discontinue them, and they say no
every time. I am 66 and presently take a beta blocker. I have a goal to get
off of all medications but the doctor is not helping. They say don’t go off
withouth the doctor’s permission, but I am about ready to do just that. I
hear many other health problems that are caused by beta blockers and I don’t
want them. What do you think? I have been losing weight, exercising and
trying to stay unstressed, but I wish I would never started these meds. It
was at a very stressful time in my life, and it did raise my blood pressure.
but things have changed and I am not as stressed now. So, how do I safely
remove these meds without fear of strokes or heart problems. Please advise.
Thank you.
I am 70 years old – now retired. I have been attending a gym twice week for the past 10 years and also walk a lot. A few years ago my doc put me on blood pressure pills as it was reaching 140/90. Gradually exercising became more difficult. Climbing a few stairs would leave me exhausted. I was suffering from palpitations and orthostatic hypotension –even collapsing in the house and giving my wife a scare. I was sent to a heart specialist – lots of test and scans but no obvious heart problem found. He put be on a beater blocker but my heart rate slowed to around 30 to 40 and I felt so bad I phoned my doc and he said stop the b.blockers. It took a week to get by heart rate back to 50. I used to be able to mow the lawn for 3 hours – now after 20 minutes my BP drops like a stone, my eyes go half blind (like over exposed) and my hearing goes deaf and I takes about 2 hours to recover. I asked doc to change my bp pills as they can make you dizzy. He said no – they were the weakest. I got fed up and stopped the pills anyway. After a week I began to feel fine again – able to do the things I used to do. No more blacking out or weakness. By BP did slowly rise about 10 to 20 points. After four month I visited my doc and revealed all. He said I must try another BP pill! I am not as bad as before with the new pills but still having similar effects. Surly its better to feel well than having lower BP and feeling like a dieing man?
My blood pressure was fine until after I started working in a newspaper plant—a high-pressure, physically strenuous job. At the time, all of the information I could find on lowering blood pressure naturally had to do with lowering cholesterol. My cholesterol has always been low. Now my blood pressure is fine except under stress.
I don’t think you can take one number and apply it to everybody,but that is what they do to sell mor drugs and the doctors love it because they get 100 bucks every time you get your prescription filled. I spend 90 % of my time at home and my BP is 125/76 and im 71 years old. When my BP is taken at the doctors or even when I go to Wall-Mart or if I have to wait in a line or around a lot of people my blood pressure goes up 165/80 and o’course the doctors want me on drugs–again. They almost killed me when I was 67 years old by overmedicating me because of a tempoary spike in blood pressure. I was able to get off 4 of the 5 drugs they had me on and ,believe me I would rather die than have to live with the drug side effects. My cholesterol has always been 130-150 so my arterys are healthier than most people half myage. Age and cholesterol are just a few things they need to consider before hanging one number on every person. Thank-you but from now on I will manage my own blood pressure with natural supplements,diet and exercise and keeping a health weight. The doctors will kill you -but only if you let them.
good reading an reakky anxious to read the text and give feedback ahsante sana
I am 78 and had a stoke in 2005. The blood pressure then had shot up to 240/120 (my family doctor was shocked) A small blood clot had formed in the left side of my brain which partially weakened my right limbs.
I used to taking my work very seriously and perform it with high intensity. i slowed down. I was also on medication. I also became regular in the practice of Yog, particularly pranayam. The pressure is now mostly 120/80 and I wish to discontinue medication but in difference to family pressure continue to take medication. Pranayam is a sure cure for high BP and for many other ailments. I have also switched to a vegan diet and life style.
My general health is considerably improved. The internal systems are working fine.
First of all, thank you for this indepth look on BP and Big Pharm. Your articles are very understandable for us laymen.
you should try Ms. Goodman's program
The Dr knows best, lots of girls out there John everything happens for a reason take care
My name is Jim and I am having trouble with my blood pressure and all the doctors want to do is use me as an guinne pig… they say try this our try that or lets combine the two and see what happens, I will never takes the pills again. I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure at the age of 45 and now I am 53 and my blood pressure is even higher. My blood pressure at this tim is running between 200/135 to 190/115 and I know this is to high. I have your CD naturally lower your blood pressure and am am on my 4 th day. Sir I am really concerned about this, please tell me what I can do to get this under control before something bad happens and I cant take care of my family or even die, I cant trust doctors and guide mr thru this. My problem is stress. I am starting my own company, I have teenage daughters(ha ha) and seems like every body wants me to take thier problems as well. I have to lower my stress. Please get back to me and tell me all that I need to do about this ASAP.
Thank you,
Jim
Hi Christian,
Interesting article on BP, however I feel if your concern is health of the people why do you charge such a price,
To save someone's life.
in all your answers you are correct.Indeed we are in control of our own bodies, not pharmacutical companies.
I have worked 15 years fulltime as a busdriver/tourguide in the San Francisco Bay Area, now age 52. I still like it; it’s never boring as most jobs tend to be, when one is stuck indoors at a desk (now THAT was stressful for me!)
About five years ago, going for the mandatory biannual driver’s physical for the DOT, Dept. of Transportation, I was diagnosed as over 140/80, the maximum allowed for any driver. That’s when I wound up on a 10mg dose of Enalapril (Lisinoprin), an angiotensor and HZCT, the diuretic.
Then I started digging around and finding that professional drivers around this country were being put on BP drugs fast and furiously, with some losing their licenses. I met a CHP cop (California Highway Patrol) socially, and he told me that this is a deliberate policy to get “older, dangerous” drivers off the roads.
All this may sound good for the safety of the public, but what about the average driver going around with a normal license, who is NOT accountable to anyone about his BP level? SHould it become a mandatory annual exam for EVERYONE, just as checking the vision, in order to maintain a driver’s license after, say, 45?
Do doctors and nurses, critical to our health if their action or thinking is faulty, be forced annually to take such an exam so that their BP never exceeds 125/75, as they themselves advocate? Perhaps after the age of 45?
It seems to me that the government is hand-in-glove with the pharm companies in bringing these stricter mandates in, starting with obvious professions such as drivers and pilots, but what about the rest of us?
Are we ALL heading in this direction, espeically if Obamacare starts completely controlling people’s health records through “safety-of-the-public” arguments? I don’t believe our records are private now, anyway.
When I see an overweight or stressed-out doctor – and many of the men, the older ones, are – I know I should be on guard. He could be giving me hasty advice, since he’s too fatigued and BP-sick to really think straight.
If you are going to doctors for such drugs, I find that one technique is to stress that stress: whatever is mounting up at your home or business, in your relationships and so on, overwhelm the doctor with this information. He or she doesn’t really want to hear it, of course, so they will slowly change the subject or bring up diet and exercise. Revert straight back to the terrible burdens you bear. If the doctor perceives in the end that it’s your sick father at home making your BP go up, he may note that on the records and therefore NOT write that the patient is “neglecting his health”.
My problem is that I get anxious and nervous every time I have my blood pressure tested. My Dr. gave me an ambulatory device to wear for 24 hours and every time I felt it squeezing, my nerves would kick in. What does it mean when your diastolic number is optimal (64) and your systolic is (151-154) sometimes I have had readings of 171/90. I will try the bp program along with herbs that have helped me in the past. What do the numbers mean exactly?
Thanks for this very interesting article. Stress being the major cause of high blood pressure.
I went the other day for a consultation, and found my BP to be 180/90, and the Dr. said your BP is very high along with my pulse 121. They want you to go to your Dr. which right now I don’t have one due to no insurance.But its the same thing, here take these dangerous medicines and I’ll see you in two weeks, but in the mean time here is a list of foods to eat, and a exercise plan I want you to follow. I have taken several serious falls leaving me unable to do any walking, and the last time I was put on a meal plan I had headaches so bad, my daughter told me to get off of it, and just eat less. I don’t smoke nor drink. I have alot of family problems, my Mother has stage 4 cancer, and they just found another spot, my daughter has a personality problem, and a 15 month old child I worry about constantly, and living in a building I will have to sale as well as my Mothers property, and am I under stress, hell yes, but I am not to go worrying about it. That is easier said then done. In March I had a horrible abcess and had to have two teeth pulled and even then my BP was 180/90. The Dr.s’ make their money off of you and they really could care less what happens to you. I am still trying herbals and trying to live a half way normal life, along with type 2 diabetes, frail bones, arthritis, and carpal tunnel, nerve damage, etc. So I ask you how am I to get my BP down with my life style?
My BP was fine until I started going towards menopause. I was having VERY hard time with it and my Dr put me on HRT. My BP went back to normal. Then after 3 years of being on HRT, he said enough, too risky. You are off. Now my BP is back on the upswing again and he wants me on pills to reduce it. I walk daily, eat everything I should and nothing I should not. Control my salt intake, have 1 glass of red wine a day. Cholesterol is WONDERFUL!!. So if HRT was good for my BP, why can’t I stay on it. My family (blood relatives) have no history of cancer for generations. There has not been ONE cancer in my family. So BIG C is a risk, but BP isn’t?
I’ve found using a Resperate machine very helpful in getting my blood pressure levels back in the normal range and keeping them there. The machine is easy to use and works by helping you slow down your breathing rate. You need to use it for 20 mins four times a week for at least a month before seeing any benefits. I understand it is now available on the British National Health Service (NHS) as an alternative to high blood pressure medication.
Hypertension occurs in approximately 8–10% of pregnancies.Most women with hypertension in pregnancy have pre-existing primary hypertension, but high blood pressure in pregnancy may be the first sign of pre-eclampsia, a serious condition of the second half of pregnancy and puerperium.”..’.