Now admittedly, I’ve gotten in trouble a few times from suggesting to people to ditch their overmedicating doctors.

I’ve learned the hard way to include disclaimers in my articles saying “listen to your doctor… etc.”

So it comes with no small amount of glee to tell you today about a new scientifically proven study that shows that people suffering high blood pressure may be more effective in lowering their blood pressure on their own rather than if they’re monitored by their doctor.

A research team from the UK found that patients who used detailed instructions from their doctors to monitor their own blood pressure and make changes in medications were more effective than doctors who did the same task.

About 552 participants were enrolled for the study. All of them suffered from high blood pressure and also had a history of other health problems like stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and kidney disease.

They were divided into two groups. One group received the usual healthcare involving periodic visits to their doctor while the other group was introduced to effective self-management.

At the beginning of the study, the average blood pressure reading in both groups was recorded as 144/80.

The self-management group fared far better over the year than their counterparts. The drop in blood pressure was significant. The average systolic blood pressure reading was 128 mm/Hg. Compare this to 138 mm/Hg in the group that was managed by their doctors.

There could be many reasons why this works. For one thing, doctors make medication changes based on one or two blood pressure readings. Added to that is the fact that they handle multiple patients with different problems and find it a little difficult to remember your progress.

Interestingly, neither group managed to bring their blood pressure below 120/80 (healthy level) using medications. Which shows just how ineffective blood pressure medications really are.

Of course (if you missed it), we at Blue Heron Health News tend to favor natural methods over medications to manage diseases. So self-management of drugs is not really the point of this article.

The point is rather that you can oftentimes manage your own health better than your doctor can. For example, record your blood pressure 2-3 times a day and monitor the ups and downs. That is much more accurate than taking blood pressure a few times a year in the doctor’s office.

Also try different diets and workout plans for a period of time and monitor if your average blood pressure goes up or down in that period. Based on that you can change your habits to a healthier lifestyle.

The most effective self-monitoring method I know to lower blood pressure involves only three easy blood pressure exercises. And better than drugs, they cause absolutely no side effects. Check them out here…