LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Hypertension

Worsening of Hypertension by Cyclo-oxygenase-2 Inhibitors – (02-12-01)

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Worsening of Hypertension by Cyclo-oxygenase-2 Inhibitors

Remember and keep this ingrained: the human body has interactions between organs, between cells and even within cells that are far beyond what science may ever discover. When we block one such interaction without fully understanding what that process does IN ITS ENTIRETY, we risk side effects that may potentially be worse than the original disease process. Nature gave us methods to combat pain. They have been used for centuries, if not longer. Side effects of these therapies are virtually unheard of.

J Clin Hypertens 2(6):396-398, 2000 The cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been marketed as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with a reduced risk for gastrointestinal toxicity compared to other classes of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also known to differ in their risk of adversely affecting blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. The acute effect of cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors on blood pressure has not been reported. We describe three cases demonstrating an adverse effect of cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors on blood pressure in stable hypertensive patients.

Coenzyme Q10 in Isolated Systolic Hypertension – (12-17-01)

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Coenzyme Q10 in Isolated Systolic Hypertension

I just love results like this!! An isolated nutrient like CoQ10 giving an average of 18 point reduction in systolic blood pressure is amazing. Remember that any good natural approach to hypertension would also include exercise, avoidance of refined carbs, increased intake of monounsaturated fats, hawthorne, calcium, magnesium and potassium. There was also a recent study of medically supervised water-only fasting that had dramatic results in lowering blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure naturally is very possibly but needs a strong committment on the part of the patient.

November 2001 SMJ

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Medically supervised water-only fasting for hypertension – (12-17-01)

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Medically supervised water-only fasting for hypertension

This is the article noted above. The results of this study still shock me. 60 point reduction in blood pressure in patients with stage 3 hypertension. Just incredible. There’s no drugs on the market that boast these same results.

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics Online

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Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Hypertension – (12-14-00)

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Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Hypertension

It seems that we can now add elevation of BP to the list of side effects of NSAIDs use. This list also contains gastric erosions/ulcers, disruption of intestinal permeability, kidney damage and liver damage. I could accept the harm vs benefit logic for NSAIDs if there were not tens if not hundreds of natural options to curb inflammation without these side effects. Remember…NSAIDs do not fix whatever caused the underlying inflammation.

J Clin Hypertens 2(5):319-323, 2000 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are among the most widely prescribed medications. Their effect on blood pressure has been monitored, and many small studies have determined a potential relationship between their use and elevation of blood pressure. These drugs may affect blood pressure by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis, which may affect arteriolar smooth muscle tone and natriuresis. Since many patients with conditions such as osteoarthritis require treatment and also have hypertension, even modest elevations in blood pressure or inhibition of antihypertensive medication efficacy resulting from non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be of significant clinical and public health importance. This review finds that certain drugs (e.g., indomethicin, piroxicam, and naproxen) may cause clinically relevant elevations in blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Aspirin and sulindac do not appear to elevate blood pressure significantly, even in hypertensive patients. Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs appear to have an intermediate blood pressure effect. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors such as refecoxib and celecoxib have been shown to cause mild elevations in blood pressure, but further studies are needed to evaluate the full magnitude and population distribution of this effect.

Leptin-Induced Hypertension Linked to Adrenergic Activation – (10-01-01)

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Leptin-Induced Hypertension Linked to Adrenergic Activation

As a quick review, leptin is a hormone released by fat cells that help to control appetite and metabolism. More fat = more leptin = less hunger and faster metabolism. However, in some patients a leptin resistance occurs and leptin levels increase in the bloodstream. This study identifies that leptin, which has the ability to raise blood pressure, does so by the adrenergic system (fight or flight response). While this may lead the way for new pharmacological interventions, remember that leptin resistance and insulin resistance are linked, and things like exercise and attention to type of fat intake can modify these hormones w/o drugs.

55th Annual Fall Conference of the AHA Council for High BP Research Researchers at the University of Mississippi, Jackson, report that leptin’s effect on blood pressure appears to be mediated through the hormone’s activation of the adrenergic system, and counteracted by beta blockade. Dr. John E. Hall noted that excess weight accounts for about 70% of all hypertension in humans. “What we’ve been searching for,” said Dr. Hall, “is the link between weight gain and how the sympathetic nervous system…is triggered to raise blood pressure and heart rate.” The investigators implanted catheters into the abdominal aortas and vena cavae of Sprague-Dawley rats. They then infused the animals with leptin, followed by a placebo, the alpha-blocker terazosin, or the beta-blocker propranolol. Leptin infusion reduced food intake and fasting plasma insulin levels in all animals, the investigators observed. Adrenergic blockade effectively inhibited increases in mean arterial pressure and heart rate. “This mouse experiment was designed to determine whether it was through the sympathetic nervous system that leptin does raise blood pressure,” Dr. Hall told meeting attendees. “And what we showed here was that the effect of leptin to raise the blood pressure and heart rate is caused entirely by the sympathetic nervous system, because after blocking this system, we find that leptin no longer raises the blood pressure.” Dr. Hall said this study shows that not only might leptin be a major link in the chain of events leading to obesity, but also that “the increased nervous system activity is the key mechanism by which leptin does raise blood pressure.” Assuming these findings apply to humans, said Dr. Hall, it is much too early to talk about therapies to block this leptin-induced sequence of events. For now, overweight people with hypertension can reduce leptin levels only by losing weight.

Insulin Resistance in Teenage Boys Linked to Elevated Systolic BP – (10-01-01)

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Insulin Resistance in Teenage Boys Linked to Elevated Systolic BP

Remember from past updates that hyperinsulinema affects the cells lining the arteries and because of this may be the answer behind supposedly “essential” hypertension. This article supports that hypothesis. On the scarier side, how many of our young people now have increased insulin resistance because of the nutrient poor, highly processed dietary patterns that are all too common?

55th Annual Fall Conference of the AHA Council for High BP Research In 15-year-old males, insulin resistance correlates with systolic blood pressure. Dr. Alan R. Sinaiko of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and colleagues from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina used euglycemic insulin clamp studies to measure insulin resistance in 159 boys and 128 girls enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools. Measurements were collected at age 13 and again at 15. Half of the volunteers came from the top 25% of the school population based on socioeconomic status. Fifty-three students were black, Dr. Sinaiko said. On average the boys had a higher body mass index (BMI) than girls at both age 13 and age 15. Results of the studies done at age 13 did not indicate an association between insulin resistance and systolic blood pressure, but “in 15-year-old males there was a significant association.” For both males and females, higher insulin resistance was also associated with higher triglycerides and lower HDL. There was no correlation with diastolic blood pressure. Moreover, as in adults, “insulin resistance and systolic blood pressure was influenced by total body fatness,” Dr. Sinaiko said.

Lead Levels May Predict Hypertension Risk – (01-25-01)

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Lead Levels May Predict Hypertension Risk

A few weeks ago an article was reviewed suggesting a possible link between lead and cognitive decline in the elderly. While I am strongly against the “one cause, one cure” philosophy, it is be possible that heavy metals may be a major contributor to the decline of our health with age. Avoiding heavy metal intake (drinking water, amalgam fillings, processed foods, polluted air, poor quality supplements…) and chelating out the metals already present in our body are smart routes to take.

Am J Epidemiol 2001;153:164-171 New study findings strengthen the hypothesis that cumulative exposure to lead is associated with an increased risk of hypertension. Dr. Howard Hu of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and colleagues conducted a substudy of the Normative Aging Study to determine the relationship between lead exposure and hypertension. The cohort included 337 men with normal blood pressure, 182 with borderline hypertension and 314 with definite hypertension. The risk of hypertension was associated with bone lead levels, but not blood lead levels, Dr. Cheng’s group reports. Of the 519 participants who did not have hypertension at baseline, 474 of whom returned for at least one follow-up visit, 74 developed hypertension between 1991 and 1997. In a proportional hazards model that adjusted for age, age squared, body mass index and family history of hypertension, the rate ratio was 1.49 for an increase in tibia lead levels from the midpoint of the bottom quintile to the midpoint of the top quintile, according to the report. For patella lead levels, the corresponding rate ratio was 1.71. After controlling for baseline systolic pressure, Dr. Cheng’s team found that the increased risk associated with lead levels persisted. “In the present study, bone lead, but not blood lead, was associated with an increased incidence of hypertension, suggesting that the hypertensive effect of lead is more likely to be a chronic than an acute phenomenon,” the researchers speculate. They note that if the association is proved to be causal, it may have a major effect on public health, since “rapid industrialization and the continued use of leaded gasoline appear to be increasing lead exposure throughout the developing world.”

Toning down BP: nonpharmaceutical device approved for OTC sale – (07-25-02)

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Toning down BP: nonpharmaceutical device approved for OTC sale

An article for this device was featured on Heartwire and I thought it was very interesting. Overall, it sounds like a biofeedback-like device that lowers blood pressure. With clinical studies to back up the effectiveness, it seems prudent to add a device like this to a natural approach to hypertension.

Resperate – Study

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