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Hypertension

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• 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
• Blood pressure monitors at Amazon.com.

Alternative News:

• Effects of resveratrol supplementation on cardiac remodeling in hypertensive patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial - Hypertens Res 2023 Feb 28 - "Resveratrol (RES) has been demonstrated to be protective in the cardiovascular system in animal studies, but the evidence is limited in humans ... After 6 months, the RES group had smaller left atrial, lower E/e', higher left ventricular global longitudinal strain and lower biomarkers indicating cardiac fibrosis (expressed by decreases in procollagen type I C-peptide and galectin-3) compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in left ventricular structure between the two groups. Although the RES group showed a significant decrease in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity compared to the pre-intervention value, the difference between the RES and the control groups was not obvious. What's more, compared with the control group, the serum levels of sirtuin3, superoxide dismutase and klotho were significantly increased in the RES group. In conclusion, RES supplementation can alleviate left atrial remodeling, improve left ventricular diastolic function and may alleviate cardiac fibrosis in hypertensive patients, and could be used as an adjunct to conventional therapies of hypertensive heart disease" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Nitrite and nitrate intake from processed meat is associated with elevated diastolic blood pressure (DBP) - Clin Nutr 2023 Mar 21 - "Overall, DBP increased by 3.05 mmHg (95% CI: 0, 6.06), per tertile increase in nitrite intake and 4.41 mmHg (95% CI: 0.17, 8.64) per level increase in sodium intake, when the interaction effect between nitrite and total sodium intakes was accounted for. By considering the significant synergistic effect of the two factors, DBP finally increased by 0.94 mgHg overall and 2.24 mgHg for subjects in the third tertile compared to those in the first. Also, a rise in total sodium intake of approximately 800 mg, above 1500 mg, caused a 2.30 mgHg increase in DBP. No significant correlations were found with SBP"
• Two Cups of Coffee Increase Heart Dangers With Hypertension - Medscape, 2/23/23 - "People with severely high blood pressure who drink two or more cups of caffeinated coffee each day could double their risk of dying from a heart attack, stroke, or any type of cardiovascular disease"
• Effects of resveratrol supplementation on cardiac remodeling in hypertensive patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial - Hypertens Res 2023 Feb 28 - "Resveratrol (RES) has been demonstrated to be protective in the cardiovascular system in animal studies, but the evidence is limited in humans. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of RES supplementation on cardiac remodeling in patients with hypertension ... After 6 months, the RES group had smaller left atrial, lower E/e', higher left ventricular global longitudinal strain and lower biomarkers indicating cardiac fibrosis (expressed by decreases in procollagen type I C-peptide and galectin-3) compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in left ventricular structure between the two groups. Although the RES group showed a significant decrease in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity compared to the pre-intervention value, the difference between the RES and the control groups was not obvious. What's more, compared with the control group, the serum levels of sirtuin3, superoxide dismutase and klotho were significantly increased in the RES group. In conclusion, RES supplementation can alleviate left atrial remodeling, improve left ventricular diastolic function and may alleviate cardiac fibrosis in hypertensive patients, and could be used as an adjunct to conventional therapies of hypertensive heart disease" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Some BP Meds Tied to Significantly Lower Risk for Dementia, Alzheimer's - Medscape, 1/10/23 - "Over the course of the study, some participants filled at least one prescription for a stimulating angiotensin II receptor type 2 and 4, such as angiotensin II receptor type 1 blockers, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, and thiazide diuretics ... Others participants filled a prescription for an inhibiting type 2 and 4 angiotensin II receptors, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta-blockers, and nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers ... All these medications lower blood pressure, but they do it in different ways ... After adjustments, results showed that initiation of an antihypertensive medication regimen that exclusively stimulates, rather than inhibits, type 2 and 4 angiotensin II receptors was associated with a 16% lower risk for incident ADRD over a follow-up of just under 7 years (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; ... However, "we're not suggesting [that all patients] have their regimen switched," he added ... That's because inhibiting medications still have an important place in the antihypertensive treatment armamentarium, Marcum noted. As an example, beta-blockers are used post heart attack"
• Effects of probiotics supplementation on blood pressure: An umbrella meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Oct 12 - "The present umbrella meta-analysis suggests probiotics supplementation to improve BP and claims that probiotics could be used as a complementary therapy for controlling high BP" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Network meta-analysis of sacubitril/valsartan for the treatment of essential hypertension - Clin Res Cardiol 2022 Nov 3 - "In hypertensive patients, 200 mg once daily of sacubitril/valsartan may exert a greater reduction in ambulatory blood pressure than 100 mg once daily and 200 mg once daily may not be inferior to 400 mg once daily. Moreover, it is not clear that sacubitril/valsartan lowers blood pressure more than an angiotensin receptor blocker"
• Resveratrol in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Attenuates Hypertension by Regulation of ROS and Neurotransmitters - Nutrients 2022 Oct 7 - "The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is an important nucleus in the brain that plays a key role in regulating sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and blood pressure. Silent mating-type information regulation 2 homolog-1 (sirtuin1, SIRT1) not only protects cardiovascular function but also reduces inflammation and oxidative stress in the periphery. However, its role in the central regulation of hypertension remains unknown. It is hypothesized that SIRT1 activation by resveratrol may reduce SNA and lower blood pressure through the regulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and neurotransmitters in the PVN ... Resveratrol within the PVN attenuates hypertension via the SIRT1/NF-κB pathway to decrease ROS and restore the balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Evidence of a casual relationship between vitamin D deficiency and hypertension: a family-based study - Hypertens Res 2022 Sep 5 - "The heritability of vitamin D deficiency was 50.4% in this family-based study. Allele C of rs3847987 was a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency (OR: 1.639, 95% CI: 1.170-2.297, P = 0.004). Furthermore, a family-based association of rs3847987 with hypertension was found in both additive and recessive models (P < 0.05). In addition, vitamin D deficiency was associated with hypertension (OR: 1.317, 95% CI: 1.022-1.698, P = 0.033). In conclusion, rs3847987 in the VDR gene was associated with both vitamin D deficiency and hypertension. Therefore, vitamin D deficiency may be a causal factor for hypertension" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Cocoa shown to reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness in real-life study - Science Daily, 7/26/22 - "Doctors often fear that some blood pressure tablets can decrease the blood pressure too much on some days ... What we have found indicates that cocoa flavanols only decrease blood pressure if it is elevated. Working with participants' personal health technologies showed us how variable blood pressure and arterial stiffness can be from day to day and shows the role of personal health monitors in developing and implementing effective personalised care" - See dark Chocolate at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin C Lowers Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Targeting Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme I Production in a Frequency-Dependent Manner - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2022 Jul 8 - "The lowering blood pressure effect of vitamin C (VC) has been evaluated in various models. As VC has a fast degradation rate in the body after consumption, a study of the frequency-dependent manner of VC is essential for the sustained antihypertension effect of VC ... spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) ... total nitric oxide (NOx) ... The twice-a-day administration of VC decreased blood pressure from the second week, and the blood pressure in these groups was close to that of the WKY group in the eighth week. Treatment with once a day VC decreased ACE I production which was further significantly reduced in twice a day groups. Angiotensinogen and eNOS production were increased upon VC treatment but were not significant among groups. The NOx content was decreased by VC treatment. These results suggest that VC lowers blood pressure in SHRs by directly targeting ACE I production in a frequency-dependent manner and may improve endothelial function depending on the frequency of administration" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Levels of Renin and Angiotensin in Essential Hypertension - Int J Clin Pract 2022 Jun 10 - "vitamin D deficiency is common in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China and vitamin D levels are negatively correlated with renin levels. Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating blood pressure by affecting renin levels through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Effects of Resveratrol on Metabolic Indicators in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Int J Clin Pract 2022 Jan 31 - "Compared with the control data, large doses of resveratrol (≥1000 mg) reduced fasting blood glucose levels (WMD: -18.76 mg/dL, 95% CI: -23.43, -14.09; P < 0.00001). Additionally, resveratrol reduced systolic blood pressure (WMD: -7.97 mmHg, 95% CI: -10.63, -5.31; P < 0.00001) and diastolic blood pressure (WMD: -3.55 mmHg, 95% CI: -5.18, -1.93; P < 0.00001) in patients with type 2 diabetes but did not improve waist circumference (WMD: 0.05 cm, 95% CI: -1.77, 1.88; P=0.95), triglyceride levels (WMD: -4.49 mg/dL, 95% CI: -24.23, 15.25; P=0.66), or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (WMD: -1.05 mg/dL, 95% CI: -2.44, 0.33; P=0.14) in patients with type 2 diabetes" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Reduce Blood Pressure - Medscape, 6/8/22 - "The meta-analysis was based on 71 randomized controlled trials that included 4973 participants ... The optimal intakes of omega-3 fatty acids associated with reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were seen with "moderate doses," they note, between 2 grams per day, associated with systolic blood pressure reductions of 2.61 mm Hg and 1.64 mm Hg diastolic, and 3 grams per day, with a systolic blood pressure reduction of 2.61 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure reduction of 1.69 mm Hg" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• About 3 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids may lower blood pressure, more research needed - Science Daily, 6/1/22 - "Compared to adults who did not consume EPA and DHA, those who consumed between 2 and 3 grams daily of combined DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids (in supplements, food or both) had reduced systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure by an average 2 mm Hg ... Consuming more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily may have added blood pressure-lowering benefit for adults with high blood pressure or high blood lipids: ... At 3g a day of omega-3s, systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased an average of 4.5 mm Hg for those with hypertension, and about 2 mm Hg on average for those without ... At 5g a day of omega-3s, SBP declined an average of nearly 4 mm Hg for those with hypertension and less than 1 mm Hg on average for those without ... Similar differences were seen in people with high blood lipids and among those older than age 45" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Controlled-release oral melatonin supplementation for hypertension and nocturnal hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2022 Apr 7 - "Oral melatonin is a potential alternative treatment for hypertension and nocturnal hypertension. However, high-quality and relevant meta-analyses are lacking. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether oral melatonin supplementation reduces daytime/asleep blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, improves sleep quality, and is well-tolerated compared with placebo ... Only controlled-release melatonin (not an immediate-release preparation) reduced asleep systolic blood pressure by 3.57 mm Hg (95% confidence interval: -7.88 to .73; I2 = 0%). It also reduced asleep and awake diastolic blood pressure, but these differences were not statistically significant. Melatonin improves sleep efficacy and total sleep time and is safe and well-tolerated" - See controlled-release melatonin at Amazon.com.
• Cardiorenal protective effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition in combination with angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockade in salt-sensitive Dahl rats - J Hypertens 2022 Mar 11 - "Inhibition of SGLT2 in combination with an angiotensin II receptor blocker effectively improved BP salt sensitivity by reducing renal expression levels of sodium transporters including NHE3 and NKCC2, which eventually led to improvement of BP salt sensitivity and cardiorenal protection" - See empagliflozin inhousepharmacy.vu.
• Eating protein from a greater variety of sources may lower risk of high blood pressure - Science Daily, 3/10/22 - "Participants were given a protein "variety score" based on the number of different sources of protein eaten out of 8 reported: whole grains, refined grains, processed red meat, unprocessed red meat, poultry, fish, egg and legumes. One point was given for each source of protein, with a maximum variety score of 8. The researchers then evaluated the association for new onset hypertension in relation to the protein variety score ... Compared to participants with the lowest variety score for protein intake (less than 2), those with the highest variety score (4 or higher) had a 66% lower risk of developing high blood pressure."
• Lycopene Supplementation and Blood Pressure: Systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized trials - J Herbal Med, Feb 22 - "lycopene supplementation significantly decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) (weighted mean differences (WMD): − 2.63 mmHg; 95% CI: − 5.17, − 0.09; P = 0.042). Greater effects on SBP were observed in subjects with a baseline SBP≥ 130 mmHg, at the lycopene dosages of ≥ 15 mg, duration≥ 8 weeks, and in hypertensive subjects. The changes observed in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: −1.02 mmHg; 95% CI: −2.51, 0.46; P = 0.179) were not statistically significant. However, subgroup analysis showed that DBP decreased significantly in studies that enrolled hypertensive subjects or with elevated DBP (>80 mmHg). Lycopene supplementation reduced SBP in non-linear fashion based on dosage" - [Nutra USA] - See lycopene at Amazon.com.
• Association between dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acid and prevalence of hypertension in U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study using data from NHANES 2009-2016 - Hypertens Res 2022 Jan 14 - "This study aimed to evaluate the association between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake and the prevalence of hypertension in U.S. adults. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2016 were used. Total PUFAs and subtypes of PUFAs, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), and arachidonic acid (AA), were obtained through two 24 h recalls and adjusted by body weight. Hypertension was defined as the average of three measurements of blood pressure above 130/80 mmHg or taking antihypertensive medication ... Dietary intake of PUFAs was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension for the highest versus lowest quartiles. The weighted ORs with 95% CIs of hypertension for total PUFA, omega-3 fatty acid, fish oil, ALA, omega-6 fatty acid, LA and AA were 0.47(0.40-0.55), 0.61(0.51-0.72), 0.85(0.74-0.97), 0.65(0.55-0.76), 0.49(0.42-0.58), 0.49(0.42-0.57) and 0.75(0.64-0.89), and the ARDs with 95% CIs were -18.06%(-22.54%, -13.58%), -12.06%(-16.68%, -7.44%), -4.13%(-8.25%, -0.01%), -10.54%(-15.31%, -5.78%), -17.03%(-21.49%, -12.58%), -17.23%(-21.76%, -12.69%) and -6.91%(-11.37%, -2.46%), respectively. Our study proposed that the intake of total PUFAs, omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, ALA, omega-6 fatty acids, LA, and AA was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension in the U.S. adults"
• U-shaped association between dietary copper intake and new-onset hypertension - Clin Nutr 2021 Dec 31 - "A total of 12,245 participants who were free of hypertension at baseline from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included. Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. New-onset hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or diagnosed by a physician or under antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up ... During a median follow-up of 6.1 years, 4304 participants developed new-onset hypertension. Overall, the associations between dietary copper intake and new-onset hypertension followed a U-shape (P for nonlinearity <0.001). The risk of new-onset hypertension significantly decreased with the increment of dietary copper intake (per SD increment: HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.88) in participants with copper intake <1.57 mg/day, and increased with the increment of dietary copper intake (per SD increment: HR, 1.09; 95% CI: 1.07-1.12) in participants with copper intake ≥1.57 mg/day ... There was a U-shaped association between dietary copper intake and new-onset hypertension in general Chinese adults, with an inflection point at about 1.57 mg/day. Our results emphasized the importance of maintaining optimal copper intake levels for the primary prevention of hypertension" - Note: Zinc supplementation can cause a copper deficiency. See Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com.
• Association between intake of sodium, potassium, sodium-to-potassium ratio, and blood pressure among US adults - Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2021 Dec 22 - "High dietary sodium and low potassium intake is associated with high blood pressure (BP). The current study aimed to determine if the sodium-to-potassium ratio is more strongly associated with low (130-139/80-89 mm Hg) and high (≥140/90 mm Hg) BP thresholds among US adults than either sodium or potassium alone ... The study confirms an inverse association between higher potassium intake and higher BP threshold. The Doses-response analyses showed sodium-to-potassium ratio is a better predictor of BP thresholds than sodium or potassium alone" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Effects of strawberries on bone biomarkers in pre- and stage 1-hypertensive postmenopausal women: a secondary analysis - Food Funct 2021 Dec 13 - "Postmenopausal women experience an increase in bone remodeling with the rate of bone resorption superseding the rate of bone formation. This results in a net bone loss with a subsequent increased risk for osteoporosis and fractures. High blood pressure (BP) has been associated with loss of bone mineral density and increased propensity to fractures. Strawberries are rich in polyphenols, which have been shown to have anti-hypertensive and bone-protective properties ... Participants (age: 59 ± 6 years; body mass index: 31.5 ± 4.1 kg m-2; systolic BP: 140 ± 13 mmHg) were randomly assigned to consume (1) 50 g of freeze-dried strawberry powder (FDSP), (2) 25 g FDSP + 25 g of placebo powder, or (3) 50 g placebo powder for eight weeks. Results indicate a significant time-by-treatment interaction (P = 0.04) for serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, a hormone that plays a major role in bone formation. Serum concentrations of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, a marker of bone formation, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b, a specific marker of bone resorption, were not affected by FDSP compared to placebo. Although not statistically significant, after eight weeks, osteocalcin increased in the 50 g FDSP group with a large effect size (d = 0.6) when compared to the placebo-control group. Adiponectin increased by 5% and 6% in the 25 g and 50 g FDSP groups, respectively, while it declined in the placebo-control group by 25% (P = 0.03 for time-by-treatment interaction). Our findings suggest that consumption of 25 g FDSP increases IGF-1 in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension" - See strawberry powder at Amazon.com.
• Role of the microbiota in hypertension and antihypertensive drug metabolism - Hypertens Res 2021 Dec 9 - "In this review, we provide insights into host-microbiota interactions and summarize the evidence supporting the importance of the microbiota in blood pressure (BP) regulation. Metabolites produced by the gut microbiota, especially short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), modulate BP and vascular responses. Harmful gut-derived metabolites, such as trimethylamine N-oxide and several uremic toxins, exert proatherosclerotic, prothrombotic, and proinflammatory effects. High-salt intake alters the composition of the microbiota, and this microbial alteration contributes to the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension. In addition, the microbiota may impact the metabolism of drugs and steroid hormones in the host. The drug-metabolizing activities of the microbiota affect the pharmacokinetic parameters of antihypertensive drugs and contribute to the pathogenesis of licorice-induced pseudohyperaldosteronism. Furthermore, the oral microbiota plays a role in BP regulation by producing nitric oxide, which lowers BP via its vasodilatory effects. Thus, antihypertensive intervention strategies targeting the microbiota, such as the use of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics (e.g., SCFAs), are considered new therapeutic options for the treatment of hypertension" - See Probiotic supplements at Amazon.com, Prebiotic supplements at Amazon.com and postbiotics at Amazon.com.
• A daily dose of yogurt could be the go-to food to manage high blood pressure - Science Daily, 12/7/21 - "Dairy foods, especially yoghurt, may be capable of reducing blood pressure ... This is because dairy foods contain a range of micronutrients, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which are involved in the regulation of blood pressure ... Yoghurt is especially interesting because it also contains bacteria that promote the release of proteins which lowers blood pressure ... This study showed for people with elevated blood pressure, even small amounts of yoghurt were associated with lower blood pressure ... And for those who consumed yoghurt regularly, the results were even stronger, with blood pressure readings nearly seven points lower than those who did not consume yoghurt" - Note: Go with the recipe on my yogurt page or go with the Noosa brand at the grocery store.
• Effect of the consumption of hesperidin in orange juice on the transcriptomic profile of subjects with elevated blood pressure and stage 1 hypertension: A randomized controlled trial (CITRUS study) - Clin Nutr 2021 Dec;40(12) - "Hesperidin exerts cardiovascular beneficial effects, but its mechanisms of action remain undefined. In a previous study we demonstrated that a single dose and a 12-week treatment of hesperidin decreased systolic blood pressure ... OJ (containing 345 mg of hesperidin; n = 15) or EOJ (containing 600 mg of hesperidin; n = 11) ... A single dose consumption of EOJ could protect from insulin resistance. Moreover, EOJ decrease the expression of proinflammatory genes after 12-week treatment providing a possible mechanism of action on inflammation pathway" - See hesperidin at Amazon.com.
• Effect of Melissa officinalis on systolic and diastolic blood pressures in essential hypertension: A double-blind crossover clinical trial - Phytother Res 2021 Nov 11 - "We conducted a double-blind, controlled, randomized crossover clinical trial on 49 patients who received either M. officinalis capsules (400 mg/d; n = 23) or the placebo (n = 26) three times per day for a 4-week period ... The statistical analysis of the obtained data revealed that the chronology of the consumption of M. officinalis and placebo had no effect on the systolic and diastolic blood pressures in these two studied groups. Moreover, it was found that systolic and diastolic blood pressures significantly decreased after the consumption of M. officinalis, compared to placebo. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures in group A at the beginning of the study were 152.30 ± 5.312 mmHg and 95.52 ± 1.988 mmHg, respectively, and, after the first phase (drug use), reached 129.88 ± 9.009 mmHg and 80.13 ± 5.488 mmHg, respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures in group B at the beginning of the study was 152.26 ± 5.640 mmHg and 94.44 ± 2.607 mmHg, respectively, and after the second phase (drug use), reached 131.77 ± 8.091 mmHg and 81.46 ± 7.426 mmHg, (p = .005), respectively. Also, no significant side effects were observed during the study. According to the results, M. officinalis can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressures of the patients with essential hypertension." - See lemon balm at Amazon.com.
• Associations of choline intake with hypertension and blood pressure among older adults in cross-sectional 2011 - 2014 NHANES differ by body mass index and comorbidity status - Br J Nutr 2021 Aug 12;1-22 - "Blood pressure (BP) is a known cardiovascular risk factor that is hypothesized to be inversely related to choline intake. A previous study suggested that this association may be more apparent in older adults and may differ according to demographic and health characteristics ... Choline intake interacted with BMI (P-interaction=0.04) such that choline intake tended to be associated with lower odds of hypertension among people with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 (OR [95% CI]: 0.64 [0.4,1.00]; P=0.052). Choline intake was not associated with systolic BP (mean±SEM change per 100 mg of choline: -1.03±0.74 mmHg; P=0.16). In contrast, its relation to diastolic BP differed by cardiovascular comorbidity (P-interaction=0.03) with a non-significant (P=0.13) negative direction of association observed among those who were free of comorbidities and a non-significant (P=0.26) positive direction observed among those with comorbidities. Collectively, these results suggested that the associations of choline intake with BP levels and hypertension risk among older adults are dependent on other risk factors" - See choline at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Gut bacteria and flavonoid-rich foods are linked and improve blood pressure levels - AHA, 8/23/21 - "Eating 1.6 servings of berries per day (one serving equals 80 grams, or 1 cup) was associated with an average reduction in systolic blood pressure levels of 4.1 mm Hg, and about 12% of the association was explained by gut microbiome factors ... Drinking 2.8 glasses (125 ml of wine per glass) of red wine a week was associated with an average of 3.7 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure level, of which 15% could be explained by the gut microbiome." - See flavonoids at Amazon.com and flavonoids at iHerb.com.
• Potential benefits of Berry Anthocyanins on Vascular function - Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 Aug 3 - "Cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as hypertension and atherosclerosis, are the leading cause of global death. Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is a strong predictor for most CVD making it a therapeutic target for both drug and nutrition interventions. It has been previously shown that polyphenols from wine and grape extracts possess vasodilator activities, due to the increased expression and phosphorylation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and consequent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) production. This is vital in the prevention of endothelial dysfunction, as NO production contributes to the maintenance of endothelial homeostasis. Moreover, polyphenols have the ability to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can cause oxidative stress, as well as suppress the upregulation of inflammatory markers within the endothelium. However, while the majority of the research has focused on red wine, this has overshadowed the potential of other nutritional components for targeting ED, such as the use of berries. Berries are high in anthocyanin flavonoids a subtype of polyphenols with studies suggesting improved vascular function as a result of inducing NO production and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Self-reported periodontal health and incident hypertension: longitudinal evidence from the NutriNet-Santé e-cohort - J Hypertens 2021 Jul 13 - "Self-reported assessed periodontitis was associated with incident arterial hypertension over an 8-year period. The present results highlight the importance of considering periodontal health when assessing an individual's risk of arterial hypertension"
• Whole- and Refined-Grain Consumption and Longitudinal Changes in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the Framingham Offspring Cohort - J Nutr 2021 Jul 13 - "whole grain (WG) ... refined grain (RG) ... waist circumference (WC) ... Greater WG intake was associated with smaller increases in WC (1.4 ± 0.2 compared with 3.0 ± 0.1 cm in the highest compared with the lowest category, respectively; P-trend < 0.001), fasting glucose concentration (0.7 ± 0.4 compared with 2.6 ± 0.2 mg/dL; P-trend < 0.001), and systolic blood pressure (SBP; 0.2 ± 0.5 compared with 1.4 ± 0.3 mm Hg; P-trend < 0.001) per 4-y interval. ... Higher intake of WG was associated with greater increases in HDL cholesterol and declines in triglyceride concentrations; however, these differences did not remain significant after adjustment for change in WC. Conversely, greater RG intake was associated with greater increases in WC (2.7 ± 0.2 compared with 1.8 ± 0.1 cm, P-trend < 0.001) and less decline in triglyceride concentration (-0.3 ± 1.3 compared with -7.0 ± 0.7 mg/dL, P-trend < 0.001)" - See Annie Chun's Brown Rice Noodle, Maifun, 8-Ounce (Pack of 6).
• Interaction between testosterone and obesity on hypertension: A population-based cross-sectional study - Atherosclerosis 2021 Jun 24 - "Elevated levels of serum testosterone were associated with decreased BP parameters and prevalent hypertension in males, and obesity modifying effects of serum testosterone on BP parameters and hypertension"
• Increasing Nitrate-Rich Vegetable Intake Lowers Ambulatory Blood Pressure in (pre)Hypertensive Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A 12-Wk Randomized Controlled Trial - J Nutr 2021 Jun 3 - "A prolonged dietary intervention focusing on high-nitrate vegetable intake is an effective strategy to lower SBP in (pre)hypertensive middle-aged and older adults" - See nitric oxide at Amazon.com.
• Melatonin ameliorates hypertension in hypertensive pregnant mice and suppresses the hypertension-induced decrease in Ca 2+-activated K + channels in uterine arteries - Hypertens Res 2021 Jun 8 - "Decreased secretion of melatonin was reported to be associated with an enhanced risk of hypertension and diabetes. However, the effect of melatonin on gestational hypertension (GH) and the underlying mechanism remain unclear ... In conclusion, melatonin ameliorates hypertension in hypertensive pregnant mice and suppresses hypertension-induced decreases in Ca2+-activated K+ channels in uterine arteries" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
• The effect of dietary fiber (oat bran) supplement on blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension: A randomized controlled trial - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2021 Apr 28 - "Insufficient dietary fiber (DF) intake is associated with increased blood pressure (BP) and the mode of action is unclear. The intake of DF supplements by participants in previous interventional studies was still far below the amount recommended by the World Health Organization ... Increased DF (oat bran) supplement improved BP, reduced the amount of antihypertensive drugs, and modulated the gut microbiota" - See oat bran at Amazon.com.
• Aerobic Training Boosts the Power of Antihypertensive Drugs - Medscape, 6/8/21 - "Aerobic exercise augments the blood pressure-lowering effect of antihypertensive medication in hypertensive individuals with metabolic syndrome ... The average reduction in mean arterial blood pressure when exercise was added to medication was 10 mm Hg, compared with 6 mm Hg with medication alone"
• Habitual coffee and caffeinated beverages consumption is inversely associated with arterial stiffness and central and peripheral blood pressure - Int J Food Sci Nutr 2021 May 31 - "Aortic stiffness, wave reflections, and central and peripheral blood pressure (BP) are milestone indicators of cardiovascular-risk ... A linear inverse relationship between coffee and caffeine consumption and arterial stiffness and central and peripheral BP was found. Light coffee and caffeine consumers showed β-coefficients for PWV-0.15, SBP-3.61, DBP-2.48, cSBP-3.21, and cDBP-2.18 (all p values < 0.05). Present findings suggest that coffee and caffeine consumption is inversely associated with arterial stiffness and central and peripheral BP in a large population sample"
• l -Arginine Can Enhance the Beneficial Effect of Losartan in Patients with Chronic Aortic Regurgitation and Isolated Systolic Hypertension - Int J Angiol 2021 Jun;30(2) - "chronic aortic regurgitation (CAR) and isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) ... Both groups had a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI), LV mass index (LVMI), and LV mean wall stress after 6- and 12-month treatment ( p <0.01 in all comparisons). Both groups had a significant increase in LV ejection fraction and exercise duration after 6- and 12-month treatment ( p < 0.01 in all comparisons). Using multivariate linear regression analysis, only losartan + l -arginine therapy achieved a significantly lower LVESVI (38.89 ± 0.23 mL/m 2 ), LVEDVI (102.3 ± 0.3 mL/m 2 ), LVMI (107.6 ± 0.3 g/m 2 ), SBP (123.5 ± 1.0 mm Hg), and greater exercise duration (7.38 ± 0.02 minutes) than those of the losartan-only treated groups ( p <0.01 in all comparisons). These findings suggest that early co-administrative strategy provides a beneficial approach to favorably influence the natural history of CAR" - See l-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Are SGLT2 Inhibitors New Hypertension Drugs? - Circulation 2021 May 4 - Note:  See the table. Jardiance (empagliflozin) lowered systolic by about 10 points.  Farxiga (dapagliflozin) was 5.8. - See dapagliflozin at RelibleRXPharmacy but they don't carry empagliflozin.
• One cup of leafy green vegetables a day lowers risk of heart disease - Science Daily, 5/4/21 - "Researchers examined data from over 50,000 people residing in Denmark taking part in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study over a 23-year period. They found that people who consumed the most nitrate-rich vegetables had about a 2.5 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure and between 12 to 26 percent lower risk of heart disease ... The greatest reduction in risk was for peripheral artery disease (26 percent), a type of heart disease characterised by the narrowing of blood vessels of the legs, however we also found people had a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure ... the optimum amount of nitrate-rich vegetables was one cup a day and eating more than that didn't seem to give any additional benefits"
• Fasting lowers blood pressure by reshaping the gut microbiota - Science Daily, 4/29/21 - "Taken together, the study shows for the first time that intermittent fasting can be beneficial in terms of reducing hypertension by reshaping the composition of gut microbiota in an animal model. The work also provides evidence that gut dysbiosis contributes to hypertension by altering bile acid signaling"
• Changes in mouth bacteria after drinking beetroot juice may promote healthy aging - Science Daily, 3/30/21 - "Systolic blood pressure dropped on average by five points (mmHg) after drinking the beetroot juice" - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com.
• People with severe gum disease may be twice as likely to have increased blood pressure - Science Daily, 3/29/21 - "a diagnosis of gum disease was associated with higher odds of hypertension, independent of common cardiovascular risk factors. Individuals with gum disease were twice as likely to have high systolic blood pressure values ?140 mm Hg, compared to people with healthy gums (14% and 7%, respectively). Researchers also found: ... The presence of active gum inflammation (identified by bleeding gums) was associated with higher systolic blood pressure ... Participants with periodontitis exhibited increased glucose, LDL ("bad" cholesterol), hsCRP and white blood cell levels, and lower HDL ("good" cholesterol) levels compared to those in the control group ... Nearly 50% of participants with gum disease and 42% of the control group had blood pressure values for a diagnosis of hypertension, defined as ?130/80 mmHg."
• New discovery explains antihypertensive properties of green and black tea - Science Daily, 3/8/21 - "two catechin-type flavonoid compounds (epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate) found in tea, each activate a specific type of ion channel protein named KCNQ5, which allows potassium ions to diffuse out of cells to reduce cellular excitability. As KCNQ5 is found in the smooth muscle that lines blood vessels, its activation by tea catechins was also predicted to relax blood vessels -- a prediction confirmed by collaborators at the University of Copenhagen ... In addition to its role in controlling vascular tone, KCNQ5 is expressed in various parts of the brain, where it regulates electrical activity and signaling between neurons. Pathogenic KCNQ5 gene variants exist that impair its channel function and in doing so cause epileptic encephalopathy, a developmental disorder that is severely debilitating and causes frequent seizures. Because catechins can cross the blood-brain barrier, discovery of their ability to activate KCNQ5 may suggest a future mechanism to fix broken KCNQ5 channels to ameliorate brain excitability disorders stemming from their dysfunction." - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Is there a beneficial effect of gamma-linolenic acid supplementation on body fat in postmenopausal hypertensive women? A prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial - Menopause 2021 Feb 1 - "This was a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study involving 96 postmenopausal women. Participants were divided into two groups either receiving 1,000 mg of borage oil rich in gamma-linolenic acid + vitamin E (drug) or only vitamin E (placebo) capsules for 6 months ... There was a significant reduction in the systolic and diastolic pressure as well as a significant change in waist-hip ratio (P < 0.01) in the drug group as compared with the placebo group" - See borage oil at Amazon.com.
• Mediterranean diet and antihypertensive drug use: a randomized controlled trial - J Hypertens 2021 Jan 25 - "Participants allocated to Mediterranean diet interventions were associated with lower risk of initiating antihypertensive therapy [5-year incidence rates: 47.1% in the control diet, 43.0% in MedDiets; hazard ratio = 0.84, 95% CI (0.74--0.97), in a model adjusted for age, sex, and recruitment site]. Volunteers using two drugs at baseline in the Mediterranean diet intervention enriched with extra-virgin olive oil decreased their risk of therapy escalation [5-year incidence rates: 22.9% in the control diet, 20.1% in the MedDiet; hazard ratio = 0.77, 95% CI (0.60--0.99)]. Allocation to Mediterranean diet interventions attenuated the association between antihypertensive therapy at baseline and incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events"
• Inverse Association Between Riboflavin Intake and New-Onset Hypertension: A Nationwide Cohort Study in China - Hypertension 2020 Nov 2 - "A total of 12 245 participants who were free of hypertension at baseline from China Health and Nutrition Survey were included. Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory ... Overall, there was a nonlinear, inverse association between total, plant-based, or animal-based riboflavin intake and new-onset hypertension (all P for nonlinearity, <0.001). The risk of new-onset hypertension was increased only in participants with relatively lower riboflavin intake. Accordingly, a significantly lower risk of new-onset hypertension was found in participants in quartiles 2 to 4 of total riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.68-0.80]), plant-derived riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.71-0.84]), or animal-derived riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.65-0.77]), compared with those in quartile 1. In addition, the association between total riboflavin intake and new-onset hypertension was particularly evident in those with lower dietary sodium/potassium intake ratio" - See B complex supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• High flavanol diet may lead to lower blood pressure - Science Daily, 10/21/20 - "The findings, published in Scientific Reports, studied the diet of more than 25,000 people in Norfolk, UK and compared what they ate with their blood pressure. In contrast to most other studies investigating links between nutrition and health, the researchers did not rely on study participants reporting their diet, but instead measured flavanol intake objectively using nutritional biomarkers -- indicators of dietary intake, metabolism or nutritional status that are present in our blood ... The difference in blood pressure between those with the lowest 10% of flavanol intake and those with the highest 10% of intake was between 2 and 4 mmHg. This is comparable to meaningful changes in blood pressure observed in those following a Mediterranean diet or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Notably, the effect was more pronounced in participants with hypertension." - See flavonoids at Amazon.com and flavonoids at iHerb.com.
• Daily supplementation with aronia melanocarpa (chokeberry) reduces blood pressure and cholesterol: a meta analysis of controlled clinical trials - J Diet Suppl 2020 Aug 14 - "Daily supplementation with aronia berry extracts for 6-8 weeks significantly reduces systolic blood pressure, which is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as total cholesterol. These effects are most significant in adults over the age of 50 years. Supplementation with aronia berry is a safe and effective way to reduce total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, with even larger effects among adults over the age of 50 years." - See aronia berry extract at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Probiotic Bifidobacterium breve prevents DOCA-salt hypertension - FASEB J 2020 Aug 11 - "Many probiotics that affect gut microbial ecology have been shown to produce beneficial effects on renin-angiotensin-dependent rodent models and human hypertension. We hypothesized that Bifidobacterium breve CECT7263 (BFM) would attenuate hypertension in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt rats, a renin-independent model of hypertension. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, DOCA-salt, treated DOCA-salt-BFM, treated DOCA-salt-butyrate, and treated DOCA-salt-acetate, for 5 weeks. BFM prevented the increase in systolic blood pressure, cardiac weight, and renal damage induced by DOCA-salt. BFM increased acetate-producing bacterial population and gut acetate levels, improved colonic integrity, normalized endotoxemia, plasma trimethylamine (TMA) levels, and restored the Th17 and Treg content in mesenteric lymph nodes and aorta. Furthermore, BFM improved nitric oxide-dependent vasorelaxation induced by acetylcholine in aortic rings and reduced NADPH oxidase activity in DOCA-salt animals. These protective effects were mimicked by acetate, but not by butyrate supplementation. These data demonstrate that BFM induces changes in gut microbiota linked with attenuation of endothelial dysfunction and increase in blood pressure in this low-renin form of hypertension. These beneficial effects seem to be mediated by increased acetate and reduced TMA production by gut microbiota, thus, improving gut integrity and restoring Th17/Tregs polarization and endotoxemia" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice Reduces Blood Pressure in Tanzanian Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial - J Nutr 2020 Jul 30 - "Forty-seven middle-aged and older participants (age: 50–70 y, BMI: 26.3–29.1 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to 3 conditions for a period of 60 d: 1) high-nitrate beetroot juice (∼400 mg nitrate) and folic acid (∼5 mg folic acid) (N + F), 2) high-nitrate beetroot juice and placebo (N + P), or 3) nitrate-depleted beetroot juice and placebo (P + P) ... Baseline resting systolic and diastolic BP (mean ± SD) was 151.0 ± 19.4 mm Hg and 91.8 ± 11.7 mm Hg, respectively. Compliance to the interventions was high (>90%) in all groups which was confirmed by the significant increase in nitrate and folic acid concentrations in plasma and saliva samples in the treatment arms. After 60 d, 24-h systolic BP dropped by −10.8 ± 9.8 mm Hg (P < 0.001), −6.1 ± 13.2 mm Hg (P = 0.03), and −0.3 ± 9.7 mm Hg (P = 0.83) in the N + P, N + F, and P + P groups, respectively. There was a significant decrease in 24-h diastolic BP in the N + P group (−5.4 ± 5.0 mm Hg, P = 0.004), whereas changes were not significant in the N + F (−1.8 ± 8.1 mm Hg, P = 0.32) and P + P (1.6 ± 8.3 mm Hg, P = 0.43) groups" - [Nutra USA] - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Antihypertensive efficacy and safety of a standardized herbal medicinal product of Hibiscus sabdariffa and Olea europaea extracts (NW Roselle): A phase-II, randomized, double-blind, captopril-controlled clinical trial - Phytother Res 2020 Jul 29 - "Hypertension is a public health concern that needs immediate attention upon diagnosis. The demand for natural alternatives is on the rise; Hibiscus sabdariffa and Olea europaea are traditionally used for hypertension management in Egypt ... We equally randomized 134 patients to receive captopril 25 mg, low-dose NW Roselle, or high-dose NW Roselle BID for 8 weeks. No significant decrease was found in systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure when we compared low-dose NW Roselle and high-dose NW Roselle to captopril (p > .05). In all groups, mean reduction in BP at 8 weeks was significant; 16.4/9.9 mmHg (p < .0001), 15.4/9.6 mmHg (p < .0001), and 14.9/9.4 mmHg (p < .0001) with captopril, low-dose NW Roselle, and high-dose NW Roselle respectively. In addition, low-dose NW Roselle induced a significant reduction in the mean level of triglycerides (17.56 mg/dL; p = .038). In conclusion, NW Roselle had comparable antihypertensive efficacy and safety to captopril in Egyptian patients with grade 1 essential hypertension" - See Hibiscus sabdariffa at Amazon.com and iHerb and Olea europaea at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Effect of Daily 2000 IU Versus 800 IU Vitamin D on Blood Pressure Among Adults Age 60 Years and Older: A Randomized Clinical Trial - Am J Clin Nutr 2020 Jun 15 - "Observational studies report higher blood pressure (BP) among individuals with lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration ... Participants were randomly assigned to receive high dose (2000 IU) or standard dose (800 IU) daily vitamin D3 for 24 mo ... While daily 2000 IU and 800 IU vitamin D3 reduced mean systolic BP over 2 y to a small and similar extent, 2000 IU reduced mean systolic BP variability significantly more compared with 800 IU. However, without a placebo control group we cannot ascertain whether vitamin D supplementation effectively reduces BP" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.
• Association between overall fruit and vegetable intake, and fruit and vegetable sub-types and blood pressure: the PRIME study (Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction) - Br J Nutr. 2020 May 4 - "A total of 10660 men aged 50-59 years were recruited from 1991 to 1994. Blood pressure was measured in a clinic setting, and dietary intake was assessed by food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). After adjusting for potential confounders, both systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were significantly inversely associated with total fruit, vegetable and fruit juice intake however when results were examined according to the sub-type of fruit or vegetable (citrus fruit, other fruit, fruit juices, cooked vegetables and raw vegetables), only the other fruit and raw vegetable categories were consistently associated with reduced SBP and DBP. In relation to the risk of hypertension based on systolic blood pressure >140 mmHg, the odds ratio for total fruit, vegetable and fruit juice intake (per fourth) was 0.95 (95 % CI 0.91, 1.00), with the same estimates being 0.98 (CI % 0.94, 1.02) for citrus fruit intake (per fourth), 1.02 (CI % 0.98, 1.06) for fruit juice intake (per fourth), 0.93 (CI % 0.89, 0.98) for other fruit intake (per fourth), 1.05 (CI % 0.99, 1.10) for cooked vegetable intake (per fourth) and 0.86 (CI % 0.80, 0.91) for raw vegetable intake (per fourth). Similar results were obtained for DBP"
• Hypertension in military veterans is associated with combat exposure and combat injury - J Hypertens. 2020 Jan 27 - "Overall prevalence of hypertension was 7.6%. Compared with participants who deployed but did not experience combat (mild exposure), elevated odds of hypertension were observed among those who experienced combat but not wounded (moderate exposure; AOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.19-1.38) and those wounded in combat (high exposure; AOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.07-2.00)"
• Association of low serum magnesium with diabetes and hypertension: findings from Qatar Biobank Study - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2019 Oct 31 - "magnesium related dietary pattern (MRDP) ... Prediabetes was defined as HbA1c between 5.7% and 6.4%. Subclinical magnesium deficiency was defined as serum magnesium <0.85 mmol/L ... The prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes and subclinical magnesium deficiency was 18.9%, 11.5% and 59.5%, respectively. Across the quartiles of serum magnesium from high to low, the prevalence ratios (PR 95%CI) for diabetes were 1.00, 1.35, 1.88, and 2.70 (95%CI 2.38-3.05), respectively (p for trend <0.001). The presence of hypertension significantly increased the probability of diabetes along a wide range of low serum magnesium. A low intake of MRDP was also positively associated with diabetes and high HbA1c ... Subclinical magnesium deficiency is common in Qatar and associates with diabetes, prediabetes and hypertension in Qatari adults" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Effect of pycnogenol supplementation on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials - Phytother Res. 2019 Oct 21 - "Pooled analysis suggested that pycnogenol supplementation can reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) of (-3.22 mmHg; 95% CI [-5.52, -0.92]) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP; -1.91 mmHg; 95% CI [-3.64, -0.18]). Effect of pycnogenol on SBP was more pronounce in subgroup in which pycnogenol was administered along with other treatments. A significant effect of pycnogenol on DBP in studies with >12-week duration, whereas this favorable effect was not observed in subgroup with ≤12-week supplementation. The present systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that pycnogenol had a favorable effect on SBP and DBP" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.
• Treating Uncontrolled Hypertension with Hibiscus sabdariffa When Standard Treatment Is Insufficient: Pilot Intervention J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Oct 10 - "To assess the use of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS), known as karkade in Jordan ... Of the 38 participants, 29 finished the program, 72% of whom were taking antihypertensive medication due to uncontrolled hypertension and 28% of whom were not. H. sabdariffa was generally well tolerated: 38% of participants reached the target BP at the end of the study and 65% saw their systolic BP decrease by at least 10 mmHg ... H. sabdariffa (karkade) is generally well tolerated and seems to be helpful in treating uncontrolled hypertension, with or without medication" - See Hibiscus sabdariffa at Amazon.com.
• Melatonin as a rational alternative in the conservative treatment of resistant hypertension - Hypertens Res. 2019 Sep 13 - "Since the BP threshold for starting antihypertensive therapy was reduced to ≥130/80 mmHg in the AHA guidelines, the prevalence of patients with treatment-resistant hypertension is likely to increase. Thus, finding a novel therapeutic option is a challenging issue. Commonly used therapeutic regimes involve volume reducing agents, inhibitors of the formation or effects of Ang II, and calcium channel blockers [1]. While the treatment-resistant hypertension often contains a central neurogenic pathomechanical component, the above postulated mechanisms of action of melatonin could find their application in its treatment. Based on the 2K1C model and other models of hypertension, melatonin triggers sympatholytic and bradycardic effects [9] and, due to its apparent antiproliferative action [13], this hormone even offers nephro- and cardioprotection beyond BP reduction. Therefore, melatonin becomes an essential candidate to be investigated for the treatment of resistant hypertension." - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
• Chronic Fish Oil Consumption with Resistance Training Improves Grip Strength, Physical Function, and Blood Pressure in Community-Dwelling Older Adults - Sports (Basel). 2019 Jul 9;7(7) - "Twenty-eight healthy older adults (10 males, 18 females; 66.5 ± 5.0 years) were randomly assigned to three groups: Control (CON), resistance training (RT), resistance training with FO (RTFO) ... BP substantially decreased only in RTFO, systolic blood pressure (-7.8 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (-4.5 mmHg), mean arterial pressure (-5.6 mmHg), while no change was found in CON and RT. Chronic RT enhanced strength and physical function, while FO consumption combined with RT improved BP in community-dwelling older adults" - [Nutra USA] - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Gut bacteria may be linked to high blood pressure and depression - Science Daily, 9/5/19 - "the investigators discovered unique patterns of bacteria from people with 1) high blood pressure plus depression; 2) high blood pressure without depression; 3) depression with healthy blood pressure; or 4) healthy subjects without depression or high blood pressure ... Stevens said the results suggest different medical mechanisms of high blood pressure that correlate with signature molecules produced by gut bacteria. These molecules are thought to impact the cardiovascular system, metabolism, hormones and the nervous system." - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Community-Wide Salt Swap Moves BP Needle, Halves Hypertension - Medscape, 9/2/19 - "Replacing regular high-sodium salt with a substitute containing 75% sodium and 25% potassium reduced overall systolic BP by 1.23 mm Hg (P = .004) and diastolic BP by 0.72 mm Hg (P = .022) from a baseline average of 113/72 mm Hg ... Systolic BP fell by 1.92 mm Hg among residents with hypertension and by 2.17 mm Hg in those aged 60 years and older ... even modest decreases in blood pressure at the population level bring us larger gains ... Previous work has shown that even a 2–mm Hg reduction in systolic BP can lower stroke mortality by 10% and mortality from ischemic heart disease or other vascular causes in middle age by 7%. Recent studies also have linked potassium supplementation with reduced BP ... A random 24-hour urine sampling of 600 participants showed that sodium levels remained unchanged from baseline (3.94 g vs 3.95 g) but that potassium levels increased from 1.97 g to 2.60 g ... "This is very important because when considering population use of salt substitute, the first thing that arises in every discussion is, 'What about the risks of hyperkalemia?' " Neal said. "I think those risks are probably greatly overstated because they probably only apply to a small proportion of the population with severe kidney disease, most of whom would be aware they have severe kidney disease and should also avoid potassium-salt substitutes." - Note:  This was only 25% potassium, Lite Salt is over 50% (290 mg sodium, 350 mg potassium] .  See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Acute Supplementation with Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice Causes a Greater Increase in Plasma Nitrite and Reduction in Blood Pressure of Older Compared to Younger Adults - Nutrients 2019, 11(7), 1683 - "Nitrate-rich beetroot juice supplementation has been shown to improve cardiovascular and cognitive function in younger and older adults via increased nitric oxide production ... Older adults showed a greater elevation in plasma nitrite (p = 0.038) and a greater reduction in diastolic BP (p = 0.005) following BR consumption than younger adults. Reaction time was improved in the Stroop test following BR supplementation for both groups (p = 0.045). Acute BR supplementation increased plasma nitrite concentrations and reduced diastolic BP to a greater degree in older adults; whilst systolic BP was reduced in both older and younger adults, suggesting nitrate-rich BR may improve cardiovascular health, particularly in older adults due to the greater benefits from reductions in diastolic BP" - [Nutra USA] - See beet root powder at Amazon.com (I can't imaging trying to down the actual juice.  I remember when I was about six years old in the school cafeteria.  I didn't like anything on the plate.  The teacher said to just eat the beets and I could go.  I barfed trying to eat them.  Every time I think of beet juice, I think of that.).
• High dietary total antioxidant capacity is associated with a reduced risk of hypertension in French women - Nutr J. 2019 Jun 11;18(1):31 - "In a large prospective cohort, the risk of incident hypertension in women was inversely associated with the antioxidant capacity of the diet, suggesting that promoting a diet naturally rich in antioxidants might help prevent the development of hypertension"
• Sleepless nights linked to high blood pressure - Science Daily, 6/4/19 - "Overall, those who had lower sleep efficiency showed an increase in blood pressure during that restless night. They also had higher systolic blood pressure -- the top number in a patient's blood pressure reading -- the next day ... Blood pressure is one of the best predictors of cardiovascular health"
• Blood Pressure-Lowering by the Antioxidant Resveratrol is Counterintuitively Mediated by Oxidation of cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase - Circulation. 2019 May 22 - "Resveratrol mediates lowering of blood pressure by paradoxically inducing protein oxidation, especially during times of oxidative stress, a mechanism that may be a common feature of 'antioxidant' molecules" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Small Amounts of Inorganic Nitrate or Beetroot Provide Substantial Protection From Salt-Induced Increases in Blood Pressure - Hypertension. 2019 May;73(5):1042-1048 - "To reduce the risk of salt-induced hypertension, medical authorities have emphasized dietary guidelines promoting high intakes of potassium and low intakes of salt that provide molar ratios of potassium to salt of ≥1:1. However, during the past several decades, relatively few people have changed their eating habits sufficiently to reach the recommended dietary goals for salt and potassium ... the Dahl salt-sensitive rat, we found that supplemental dietary sodium nitrate confers substantial protection from initiation of salt-induced hypertension when the molar ratio of added nitrate to added salt is only ≈1:170. Provision of a low molar ratio of added nitrate to added salt of ���1:110 by supplementing the diet with beetroot also conferred substantial protection against salt-induced increases in blood pressure. The results suggest that on a molar basis and a weight basis, dietary nitrate may be ≈100× more potent than dietary potassium with respect to providing substantial resistance to the pressor effects of increased salt intake. Given that leafy green and root vegetables contain large amounts of inorganic nitrate, these findings raise the possibility that fortification of salty food products with small amounts of a nitrate-rich vegetable concentrate may provide a simple method for reducing risk for salt-induced hypertension." - [Nutra USA] - - See beet root powder at Amazon.com.
• Effect of vitamin E supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis - J Hum Hypertens. 2019 Mar 7 - "Results of this study showed that compared to placebo, SBP decreased significantly in vitamin E group (WMD = -3.4 mmHg, 95% CI = -6.7 to -0.11, P < 0.001), with a high heterogeneity across the studies (I2 = 94.0%, P���< 0.001). Overall, there were no significant effects on DBP and MAP" - Yeah, but isn't systolic and pulse pressure the main problem as people age? - See vitamin E products at Amazon.com.
• An Afternoon Nap May Lower Your Blood Pressure - WebMD, 3/7/19 - "Taking a low-dose blood pressure drug, for example, can lower your level an average of 5 to 7 mm Hg, while a nap can reduce overall blood pressure an average of 5 mm Hg ... These findings are important because a drop in blood pressure as small as 2 mm Hg can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack by up to 10 percent"
• 'Blue' in Blueberries Tied to BP Lowering that Rivals Medication - Medscape, 3/1/19 - "Eating the equivalent of 100 grams of blueberries for 4 weeks, twice a day is associated with systolic blood pressure lowering that is equivalent to the effect of BP-lowering medications ... Five New Studies" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
• The 'blue' in blueberries can help lower blood pressure - Science Daily, 2/20/19 - "Effects on blood vessel function were seen two hours after consumption of the blueberry drinks and were sustained for one month even after an overnight fast ... Over the course of the month, blood pressure was reduced by 5mmHg. This is similar to what is commonly seen in studies using blood pressure lowering medication ... The drinks containing purified anthocyanins led to improvements in endothelial function. Endothelial cells act as a barrier between the blood or lymph and the surrounding body tissue, as well as playing key roles in blood clotting and regulating blood pressure ... Neither the control drink, the control with fibre or the control with minerals and vitamins had a significant effect on FMD at two and six hours after consumption ... Although it is best to eat the whole blueberry to get the full benefit, our study finds that the majority of the effects can be explained by anthocyanins" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
• Zinc deficiency may play a role in high blood pressure - Science Daily, 1/24/19 - "Lower-than-normal zinc levels may contribute to high blood pressure (hypertension) by altering the way the kidneys handle sodium ... A small group of the zinc-deficient mice were fed a zinc-rich diet partway through the study. Once the animals' zinc reached adequate levels, blood pressure began to drop and urinary sodium levels increased" - See zinc supplements at Amazon.com.
• The effects of melatonin supplementation on blood pressure in patients with metabolic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - J Hum Hypertens. 2019 Jan 15 - "In summary, the current meta-analysis demonstrated that melatonin supplementation significantly decreased SBP and DBP in patients with metabolic disorders" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
• Mediterranean-Style Diet Improves Systolic Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Older Adults - Hypertension. 2019 Jan 14 - "The intervention group received individually tailored standardized dietary advice and commercially available foods to increase adherence to a Mediterranean diet. The control group continued on their habitual diet and was provided with current national dietary guidance. In the 1142 participants who completed the trial (88.2%), after 1 year the intervention resulted in a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (-5.5 mm Hg; 95% CI, -10.7 to -0.4; P=0.03), which was evident in males (-9.2 mm Hg, P=0.02) but not females (-3.1 mm Hg, P=0.37). The -1.7 mm Hg (95% CI, -4.3 to 0.9) decrease in diastolic pressure after intervention did not reach statistical significance. In a subset (n=225), augmentation index, a measure of arterial stiffness, was improved following intervention (-12.4; 95% CI, -24.4 to -0.5; P=0.04) with no change in pulse wave velocity"
• Nitrate-Rich Fruit and Vegetable Supplement Reduces Blood Pressure in Normotensive Healthy Young Males without Significantly Altering Flow-Mediated Vasodilation: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Controlled Trial - J Nutr Metab. 2018 Sep 16;2018 - "Vegetable liquid supplement (FVS ... prune juice, PRU ... In contrast to PRU, FVS significantly increased plasma nitrates and nitrites (+67%, p < 0.001) and decreased diastolic blood pressure (-9%, p=0.029) after two weeks" - [Nutra USA] - See Aged Beet Root Capsules - Beet Pills for High Blood Pressure and Stamina - Organic Beet Root Powder - Nitric Oxide Supplement - Nitrate No Sugar - 30 Capsules - Beet Root Supplement at Amazon.com.  It has a 4.8 star rating with a Fakespoke grade of 'A'.
• Relations between dairy product intake and blood pressure: the INTERnational study on MAcro/micronutrients and blood Pressure - J Hypertens. 2018 Jun 20 - "Low-fat dairy consumption was associated with lower BP, especially among participants with low ACR. Dairy-rich nutrients including phosphorus and calcium may have contributed to the beneficial associations with BP"
• Relation between hypertension and erectile dysfunction: a meta-analysisof cross-section studies - Int J Impot Res. 2018 May 22 - "We found that risk of ED was increased with hypertension (summary OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.58-2.14, p < 0.000001). Adjusting for obesity, unfavorable lipid levels, alcohol abuse, physical activity, cigarette smoking, educational level and other lifestyle factors, hypertension was also associated with increased risk of ED (summary OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.35-1.86, p < 0.00001). The results of this meta-analysis support that hypertension is associated with an increased risk of ED"
• Changes of Blood Pressure and Hemodynamic Parameters after Oral Magnesium Supplementation in Patients with Essential Hypertension-An Intervention Study - Nutrients. 2018 May 8;10(5) - "The participants were asked to consume (daily at home) 300 mg of oral magnesium-oxide supplementation product for one month and to have their blood pressure and hemodynamic parameters (thoracic fluid content, stroke volume, stroke index, cardiac output, cardiac index, acceleration index, left cardiac work index and systemic vascular resistance index, heart rate) measured in the hospital before and after the intervention. Measurements were performed with impedance cardiography. After magnesium supplementation, systolic and diastolic pressures were significantly decreased (mean &plusmn; standard deviation (SD)/mmHg/from 139.7 &plusmn; 15.0 to 130.8 &plusmn; 13.4 and from 88.0 &plusmn; 10.4 to 82.2 &plusmn; 9.0, respectively; both p < 0.001). The two significant hemodynamic changes were the decrease of systemic vascular resistance index (dyn s m²/cm⁵) and left cardiac work index (kg m/m&sup2;)/mean &plusmn; SD from 2319.3 &plusmn; 753.3 to 2083.0 &plusmn; 526.9 and from 4.8 &plusmn; 1.4 to 4.4 &plusmn; 0.9, respectively; both p < 0.05). The observed hemodynamic changes may explain lowering blood pressure after magnesium supplementation" - See magnesium oxide at Amazon.com.
• A high-salt diet produces dementia in mice - Science Daily, 1/16/18 - "We discovered that mice fed a high-salt diet developed dementia even when blood pressure did not rise ... The scientists discovered that an impaired ability of cells lining blood vessels, called endothelial cells, reduced the production of nitric oxide, a gas normally produced by the endothelial cells to relax blood vessels and increase blood flow. To see if the biological effects of a high-salt diet could be reversed, Dr. Iadecola and colleagues returned some mice to a regular diet for four weeks and found that cerebral blood flow and endothelial function returned to normal"
• Frequent sauna bathing keeps blood pressure in check - Science Daily, 9/29/17 - "The same researchers have previously shown that frequent sauna bathing reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death, and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality ... The risk of hypertension was 24% decreased among men with a sauna frequency of 2-3 times a week, and 46% lowered among men who had a sauna 4-7 times a week .. Sauna bathing may decrease systemic blood pressure through different biological mechanisms. During sauna bathing, the body temperature may rise up to 2 °C degrees, causing vessels vasodilation. Regular sauna bathing improves endothelial function, i.e. the function of the inside layer of blood vessels, which has beneficial effects on systemic blood pressure. Sweating, in turn, removes fluid from the body, which is a contributing factor to decreased blood pressure levels. Additionally, sauna bathing may also lower systemic blood pressure due to overall relaxation of the body and mind" - See saunas at Amazon.com.
• The effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure in individuals with insulin resistance, prediabetes, or noncommunicable chronic diseases: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jul 19 - "Magnesium supplementation resulted in a mean reduction of 4.18 mm Hg in SBP and 2.27 mm Hg in DBP" - See Magtein at Amazon.com.
• Effects of salt loading and potassium supplement on the circadian blood pressure profile in salt-sensitive Chinese patients - Blood Press Monit. 2017 Jun 16 - "Salt-sensitive (SS) patients ... Approximately 49 normotensive and mildly hypertensive Chinese patients received a study protocol of a 3 days of baseline examination, 7 days of a low-salt diet (3 g NaCl/day), 7 days of a high-salt diet (18 g NaCl/day), and 7 days of a high-salt diet with a potassium supplement (18 g NaCl and 4.5 g KCl/day) ... Compared with the high-salt loading period, the night-to-day blood pressure ratio was significantly reversed by potassium supplement in SS patients (systolic 0.91±0.01 vs. 0.96±0.01, P<0.05; diastolic 0.91±0.01 vs. 0.96±0.01, P<0.05)" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Impact of phenolic-rich olive leaf extract on blood pressure, plasma lipids and inflammatory markers: a randomised controlled trial - Eur J Nutr. 2017 Jun;56(4):1421-1432 - "A total of 60 pre-hypertensive [systolic blood pressure (SBP): 121-140 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure (DBP): 81-90 mmHg] males [mean age 45 (±SD 12.7 years, BMI 26.7 (±3.21) kg/m2] consumed either OLE (136 mg oleuropein; 6 mg hydroxytyrosol) or a polyphenol-free control daily for 6 weeks before switching to the alternate arm after a 4-week washout ... Daytime [-3.95 (±SD 11.48) mmHg, p = 0.027] and 24-h SBP [-3.33 (±SD 10.81) mmHg, p = 0.045] and daytime and 24-h DBP [-3.00 (±SD 8.54) mmHg, p = 0.025; -2.42 (±SD 7.61) mmHg, p = 0.039] were all significantly lower following OLE intake, relative to the control. Reductions in plasma total cholesterol [-0.32 (±SD 0.70) mmol/L, p = 0.002], LDL cholesterol [-0.19 (±SD 0.56) mmol/L, p = 0.017] and triglycerides [-0.18 (±SD 0.48), p = 0.008] were also induced by OLE compared to control, whilst a reduction in interleukin-8 [-0.63 (±SD 1.13) pg/ml; p = 0.026] was also detected" - [Nutra USA] - See Olive leaf extract at Amazon.com.
• Joint Association of Low Vitamin D and Vitamin K Status With Blood Pressure and Hypertension  - Hypertension. 2017 Apr 10 - "The combination of low vitamin D and K status was associated with increased blood pressure and a trend for greater hypertension risk" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and MK-7 at Amazon.com.
• L-Arginine and B vitamins improve endothelial function in subjects with mild to moderate blood pressure elevation - Eur J Nutr. 2016 Nov 5 - "unique combination of L-arginine with the vitamins B6, folic acid and B12 ... Subjects aged 40-65 years with mild to moderate blood pressure (BP) elevation not treated with anti-hypertensive drugs were randomly assigned to either the dietetic product (n = 40) or a matching placebo (n = 41) for 3 months with open follow-up for a further 3 months ... his trial confirmed the effective and safe use of dietary management with L-arginine in combination with B vitamins. The primary efficacy analysis demonstrated a statistically significant superiority of the combination of L-arginine with B vitamins over placebo in improving and restoring impaired endothelial function and lowering BP in patients with mild to moderate blood pressure elevation" - [Nutra USA]
• Effects of pomegranate juice on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial - Pharmacol Res. 2017 Jan;115:149-161 - "Pomegranate juice reduced SBP regardless of the duration (>12 wks: WMD=-4.36mmHg, 95% CI: -7.89 to -0.82, p=0.016) and <12 wks: WMD=-5.83 mmHg, 95% CI: -10.05 to -1.61, p=0.007) and dose consumed (>240cc: WMD=-3.62mmHg, 95% CI: -6.62 to -0.63, p=0.018) and <240cc: WMD=-11.01mmHg, 95% CI: -17.38 to -4.65, p=0.001, pomegranate juice per day) whereas doses >240cc provided a borderline significant effect in reducing DBP" - [Nutra USA] - See pomegranate extract at Amazon.com.  A lot of people say you should get it from the foods and that's true but if you read most of the studies and eat the amount of bananas to get the optimum potassium, the amount of orange juice to the the optimum vitamin C, the amount of milk to get the optimum vitamin D, the amount of wine to get the optimum resveratrol, the amount of fish to get the optimum omega-3, the amount of tomatoes to get the optimum lycopene, the amount of onions to get the optimum flavonoids, the amount of carrots to get the optimum beta-carotene, the amount of blueberries to get the optimum polyphenols, the amount of broccoli to get the optimum sulforaphane, the amount of liver to get the optimum coenzyme Q10, the amount of cheese to get the optimum leucine, the amount of this to get the optimum of that, etc. you'd weigh 600 pounds in a heartbeat.  The people who push the food sources aren't doing the math for the calories.  That's just my personal view.
• Montmorency Tart cherries (Prunus cerasus L.) modulate vascular function acutely, in the absence of improvement in cognitive performance - Br J Nutr. 2016 Dec;116(11):1935-194 - "Participants received either a 60 ml dose of Montmorency tart cherry concentrate (MC), which contained 68.0 (sd 0.26) mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/l, 160.75 (sd 0.55) mean gallic acid equivalent/l and 0.59 (sd 0.02) mean Trolox equivalent/l, respectively, or a placebo ... There were significant differences in concentrations of total Hb and oxygenated Hb during the task period 1 h after MC consumption (P≤0.05). Furthermore, MC consumption significantly lowered systolic blood pressure (P≤0.05) over a period of 3 h, with peak reductions of 6±2 mmHg at 1 h after MC consumption relative to the placebo" - [Nutra USA] - See cherry juice extract at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3s a Recipe for Healthy BP in Young Adults - WebMD, 11/13/16 - "We found adults in the highest quarter [group] had about 4 millimeters of mercury [mm Hg] lower systolic pressure and 2 mm Hg lower diastolic pressure, compared to those with the least omega-3 fatty acids in their blood"
• Oral magnesium supplementation improves endothelial function and attenuates subclinical atherosclerosis in thiazide-treated hypertensive women - J Hypertens. 2016 Oct 18 - "Diuretics commonly cause hypomagneseamia ... Hypertensive women (40-65 years) on hydrochlorothiazide and mean 24-h BP at least 130/80 mmHg were divided into placebo and supplementation (magnesium chelate 600 mg/day) groups ... The magnesium group had a significant reduction in SBP (144 ± 17 vs. 134 ± 14 mmHg, P =���0.036) and DBP (88 �� 9 vs. 81 ± 8 mmHg, P = 0.005) at 6 months, without effect on plasma glucose, lipids, or arterial stiffness parameters. The placebo group showed a significant increase in carotid intima-media thickness (0.78 ± 0.13 vs. 0.89 ± 0.14 mm, P = 0.033) without change in the magnesium group (0.79 ± 0.16 vs. 0.79 ± 0.19 mm, P = 0.716) after 6 months. The magnesium group demonstrated a significant increase in variation of FMD vs. the placebo group (+3.7��± 2.1 vs. 2.4 ± 1.2%" - See magnesium chelate at Amazon.com.  I'm sticking with the Magtein form to kill more birds with the same stone.  See Jarrow Formulas, MagMind at Amazon.com.
• Effects of metformin on blood pressure in nondiabetic patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - J Hypertens. 2016 Sep 7 - "Pooled results showed that metformin had a significant effect on SBP (mean difference -1.98 mmHg; 95% confidence interval -3.61, -0.35; P = 0.02), but not on DBP (mean difference -0.67 mmHg; 95% confidence interval -1.74, 0.41; P = 0.22). In subgroup analysis, we found that the effect of metformin on SBP was significant in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m), with a mean reduction of 5.03 and 3.00 mmHg, respectively" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.
• Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials - Hypertension. 2016 Jul 11 - "Mg supplementation at a median dose of 368 mg/d for a median duration of 3 months significantly reduced systolic BP by 2.00 mm Hg" - See Magtein at Amazon.com.
• Impact of phenolic-rich olive leaf extract on blood pressure, plasma lipids and inflammatory markers: a randomised controlled trial - Eur J Nutr. 2016 Mar 7 - "A total of 60 pre-hypertensive [systolic blood pressure (SBP): 121-140 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure (DBP): 81-90 mmHg] males [mean age 45 (±SD 12.7 years, BMI 26.7 (±3.21) kg/m2] consumed either OLE (136 mg oleuropein; 6 mg hydroxytyrosol) or a polyphenol-free control daily for 6 weeks before switching to the alternate arm after a 4-week washout ... aytime [-3.95 (±SD 11.48) mmHg, p = 0.027] and 24-h SBP [-3.33 (±SD 10.81) mmHg, p = 0.045] and daytime and 24-h DBP [-3.00 (±SD 8.54) mmHg, p = 0.025; -2.42 (±SD 7.61) mmHg, p = 0.039] were all significantly lower following OLE intake, relative to the control. Reductions in plasma total cholesterol [-0.32 (±SD 0.70) mmol/L, p = 0.002], LDL cholesterol [-0.19 (±SD 0.56) mmol/L, p = 0.017] and triglycerides [-0.18 (±SD 0.48), p = 0.008] were also induced by OLE compared to control, whilst a reduction in interleukin-8 [-0.63 (±SD 1.13) pg/ml; p = 0.026] was also detected" - [Nutra USA] - See Comvita Olive Leaf Extract at Amazon.com.
• Serum magnesium is inversely associated with coronary artery calcification in the Genetics of Atherosclerotic Disease (GEA) study - Nutr J. 2016 Mar 1;15(1):22 - "After full adjustment, subjects in the highest quartile of serum magnesium had 48 % lower odds of hypertension (p = 0.028), 69 % lower odds of DM2 (p = 0.003), and 42 % lower odds of CAC score > 0 (p = 0.016) compared to those with the lowest serum magnesium. The analyses also showed that a 0.17 mg/dL (1SD) increment in serum magnesium was independently associated with 16 % lower CAC" - See Jarrow Formulas, MagMind at Amazon.com.
• Serum magnesium is inversely associated with coronary artery calcification in the Genetics of Atherosclerotic Disease (GEA) study - Nutr J. 2016 Mar 1;15(1):22 - "After full adjustment, subjects in the highest quartile of serum magnesium had 48 % lower odds of hypertension (p = 0.028), 69 % lower odds of DM2 (p = 0.003), and 42 % lower odds of CAC score > 0 (p = 0.016) compared to those with the lowest serum magnesium. The analyses also showed that a 0.17 mg/dL (1SD) increment in serum magnesium was independently associated with 16 % lower CAC" - See Jarrow Formulas, MagMind at Amazon.com.
• The effect of aged garlic extract on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors in uncontrolled hypertensives: the AGE at Heart trial - Integr Blood Press Control. 2016 Jan 27;9:9-21 - "a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial of 12 weeks investigating the effect of daily intake of aged garlic extract (1.2 g containing 1.2 mg S-allylcysteine) or placebo on blood pressure ... Mean blood pressure was significantly reduced by 5.0±2.1 mmHg (P=0.016) systolic, and in responders by 11.5±1.9 mmHg systolic and 6.3±1.1 mmHg diastolic compared to placebo ... Aged garlic extract was highly tolerable with a high safety profile as a stand-alone or adjunctive antihypertensive treatment" - [Nutra USA] - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Consumption of Fish Oil Providing Amounts of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid That Can Be Obtained from the Diet Reduces Blood Pressure in Adults with Systolic Hypertension: A Retrospective Analysis - J Nutr. 2016 Jan 27 - "In a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT, healthy men and women (n = 312) consumed a control oil or fish oil (FO) providing 0.7 or 1.8 g EPA+DHA/d, in random order, each for 8 wk ... FO-induced reduction (mean: 5 mm Hg) in systolic BP, specifically in those with isolated systolic hypertension" - [Nutra USA] - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• Fish, Long-Chain n-3 PUFA and Incidence of Elevated Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies - Nutrients. 2016 Jan 21;8(1) - "elevated blood pressure (EBP) ... Circulating LC n-3 PUFA as biomarker was inversely associated with incidence of EBP (SRR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.83), especially docosahexaenoic acid (SRR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.88), whereas no significant association was found for dietary intake (SRR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.58, 1.10). The present finding suggests that increased intake of docosahexaenoic acid to improve its circulating levels may benefit primary prevention of EBP" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Garlic and Heart Disease - J Nutr. 2016 Jan 13 - "Garlic supplementation reduced blood pressure by 7-16 mm Hg (systolic) and 5-9 mm Hg (diastolic) (4 meta-analyses and 2 original studies). It reduced total cholesterol by 7.4-29.8 mg/dL (8 meta-analyses)" - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Relax and stay healthy staring at geeky Yule log videos - CNET, 12/31/15 - "Last year, scientists at the University of Alabama determined that watching a Yule log could lower your blood pressure, even if it was merely a video of the log ... there was an average of a 5 percent decrease in blood pressure among the adults who watched the fireplace complete with the crackling log sounds" - Note: Pair is up with Chromecast (http://amzn.to/1YTZkrx).  Make sure you set the highest resolution before selecting Chromecast.
• Soft drink consumption, mainly diet ones, is associated with increased blood pressure in adolescents - J Hypertens. 2015 Dec 16 - "SBP was 5.4 mmHg higher in the diet soft drink consumers group compared with the nonconsumers group and 3.3 mmHg higher compared with the sugar-sweetened consumers group (P value of trend = 0.01). Moreover, DBP was also higher among diet soft drink consumers compared with nonconsumers, with a difference of 3.3 mmHg, and compared with sugar-sweetened consumers, with a difference of 2.3 mmHg"
• Effects of potassium supplementation on markers of osmoregulation and volume regulation: results of a fully controlled dietary intervention study - J Hypertens. 2015 Nov 21 - "Potassium was found to be effective in reducing BP at higher levels of sodium intake, but to have little effect when sodium intake is restricted ... Individuals received capsules containing sodium [3.0 g (130 mmol)/day], potassium [2.8 g (72 mmol)/day], or placebo for three four-week periods ... Increased potassium intake was associated with a significant decrease in 24-h BP (-3.6/-1.6 mmHg)" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Effects of grape seed extract beverage on blood pressure and metabolic indices in individuals with pre-hypertension: a randomised, double-blinded, two-arm, parallel, placebo-controlled trial - Br J Nutr. 2015 Nov 16 - "grape seed extract (GSE) ... Subjects consumed a juice (167 kJ (40 kcal)) containing 0 mg (Placebo) or 300 mg/d GSE (150 mg) twice daily for 6 weeks ... GSE significantly reduced systolic BP (SBP) by 5.6 % (P=0.012) and diastolic BP (DBP) by 4.7 % (P=0.049) after 6 weeks of intervention period ... GSE significantly reduced systolic BP (SBP) by 5.6 % (P=0.012) and diastolic BP (DBP) by 4.7 % (P=0.049) after 6 weeks of intervention period" - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D pill a day may improve exercise performance and lower risk of heart disease - Science Daily, 11/1/15 - "Previous studies suggest that vitamin D can block the action of enzyme 11-βHSD1, which is needed to make the "stress hormone" cortisol. High levels of cortisol may raise blood pressure by restricting arteries, narrowing blood vessels and stimulating the kidneys to retain water. As Vitamin D may reduce circulating levels of cortisol, it could theoretically improve exercise performance and lower cardiovascular risk factors ... gave 13 healthy adults matched by age and weight 50μg of vitamin D per day or a placebo over a period of two weeks ... Adults supplementing with vitamin D had lower blood pressure compared to those given a placebo, as well as having lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their urine. A fitness test found that the group taking vitamin D could cycle 6.5km in 20 minutes, compared to just 5km at the start of the experiment. Despite cycling 30% further in the same time, the group taking vitamin D supplements also showed lower signs of physical exertion" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
  • Converting between IU and mg/mcg - 50 mcg = 2000 IU of vitamin D.
  • While on the subject of cortisol, I was ordering a supply of deprenyl a.k.a. selegiline the other day that I've been taking for years for anti-aging and an article said that it also reduced cortisol as an additional benefit.  I researched it and came up with this:
    • Cortisol is higher in parkinsonism and associated with gait deficit - Acta Neurol Scand. 1998 Feb;97(2):77-85 - "Selegiline was associated with a lower cortisol" - See deprenyl (selegiline) at International Anti-aging Systems.
• Polyphenol-rich juices reduce blood pressure measures in a randomised controlled trial in high normal and hypertensive volunteers - Br J Nutr. 2015 Jul 31:1-10 - "134 healthy individuals, aged 50-70 years, with high normal range BP (130/85-139/89 mmHg, seventy-two subjects) or stage 1-2 hypertension (140/90-179/109 mmHg, sixty-two subjects), were included. They consumed 500 ml/d of one of either (1) a commercially available polyphenol-rich juice based on red grapes, cherries, chokeberries and bilberries; (2) a juice similar to (1) but enriched with polyphenol-rich extracts from blackcurrant press-residue or (3) a placebo juice (polyphenol contents 245.5, 305.2 and 76 mg/100 g, respectively) ... Systolic BP significantly reduced over time (6 and 12 weeks, respectively) in the pooled juice group compared with the placebo group in the first of the three measurements, both for the whole study group (6.9 and 3.4 mmHg; P= 0.01) and even more pronounced in the hypertensive subjects when analysed separately (7.3 and 6.8 mmHg; P= 0.04). The variation in the BP measurements was significantly reduced in the pooled juice group compared with the placebo group (1.4 and 1.7 mmHg; P= 0.03). In conclusion, the present findings suggest that polyphenol-rich berry juice may contribute to a BP- and BP variability lowering effect, being more pronounced in hypertensive than in normotensive subjects" - [Nutra USA]
• Longitudinal association of dairy consumption with the changes in blood pressure and the risk of incident hypertension: the Framingham Heart Study - Br J Nutr. 2015 Sep 23 - "incident hypertension (HTN) ... Greater intakes of total dairy foods, total low-fat/fat-free dairy foods, low-fat/skimmed milk and yoghurt were associated with smaller annualised increments in SBP and a lower risk of projected HTN incidence. However, with the exception of total dairy foods and yoghurt, these inverse associations with HTN risk were attenuated as the follow-up time increased. For yoghurt, each additional serving was associated with 6 (95 % CI 1, 10) % reduced risk of incident HTN. Total dairy and total low-fat/fat-free dairy intakes were found to be inversely related to changes in DBP. Dairy consumption, as part of a nutritious and energy-balanced diet pattern, may benefit BP control and prevent or delay the onset of HTN"
• Effects of a quercetin-rich onion skin extract on 24 h ambulatory blood pressure and endothelial function in overweight-to-obese patients with (pre-)hypertension: a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled cross-over trial - Br J Nutr. 2015 Sep 2 - "randomised to receive 162 mg/d quercetin from onion skin extract powder or placebo in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over trial with 6-week treatment periods ... In the total group, quercetin did not significantly affect 24 h ABP parameters and office BP. In the subgroup of hypertensives, quercetin decreased 24 h systolic BP by -3.6 mmHg (P=0·022) when compared with placebo (mean treatment difference, -3.9 mmHg; P=0.049). In addition, quercetin significantly decreased day-time and night-time systolic BP in hypertensives, but without a significant effect in inter-group comparison ... In conclusion, supplementation with 162 mg/d quercetin from onion skin extract lowers ABP in patients with hypertension, suggesting a cardioprotective effect of quercetin" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.
• Total, insoluble and soluble dietary fibre intake in relation to blood pressure: the INTERMAP Study - Br J Nutr. 2015 Sep 2 - "After multivariable adjustment, total fibre intake higher by 6.8 g/4184 kJ (6.8 g/1000 kcal) was associated with a 1.69 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure (SBP; 95 % CI -2.97, -0.41) and attenuated to -1.01 mmHg (95 % CI -2.35, 0.34) after adjustment for urinary K. Insoluble fibre intake higher by 4.6 g/4184 kJ (4.6 g/1000 kcal) was associated with a 1.81 mmHg lower SBP (95 % CI -3.65, 0.04), additionally adjusted for soluble fibre and urinary K excretion, whereas soluble fibre was not associated with BP. Raw fruit was the main source of total and insoluble fibre, followed by whole grains and vegetables. In conclusion, higher intakes of fibre, especially insoluble, may contribute to lower BP, independent of nutrients associated with higher intakes of fibre-rich foods"
• Relationship Between Prehypertension/Hypertension and Periodontal Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study - Am J Hypertens. 2015 Jul 23 - "In the short-term prospective cohort study, a significant association between presence of periodontal disease and hypertension was observed in Japanese university students"
• Effects of flaxseed supplements on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trial - Clin Nutr. 2015 May 29 - "Reduction of SBP was significant with flaxseed powder (WMD: -1.81 mmHg, 95% CI: -2.03 to -1.59, p < 0.001) but not oil (WMD: -4.62 mmHg, 95%CI: -11.86 to 2.62, p = 0.211) and lignan extract (WMD: 0.28 mmHg, 95% CI: -3.49 to 4.04, p = 0.885). However, DBP was significantly reduced with powder and oil preparations (WMD: -1.28 mmHg, 95% CI: -2.44 to -0.11, p = 0.031, and -4.10 mmHg, 95%CI: -6.81 to -1.39, p = 0.003, respectively), but not with lignan extract (WMD: -1.78 mmHg, 95% CI: -4.28 to 0.72, p = 0.162) ... This meta-analysis of RCTs showed significant reductions in both SBP and DBP following supplementation with various flaxseed products" - See flaxseed at Amazon.com.
• Daily potassium intake and sodium-to-potassium ratio in the reduction of blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - J Hypertens. 2015 Jun 2 - "Potassium supplementation resulted in reduction of SBP by 4.7 mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4-7.0] and DBP by 3.5 mmHg (95% CI 1.3-5.7) in all patients. The effect was found to be greater in hypertensive patients, with a reduction of SBP by 6.8 mmHg (95% CI 4.3-9.3) and DBP by 4.6 mmHg (95% CI 1.8-7.5)" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Consumption of a Polyphenol-Rich Grape-Wine Extract Lowers Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Mildly Hypertensive Subjects - Nutrients. 2015 Apr 30;7(5):3138-3153 - "In a double-blind placebo controlled crossover study, the effect of two grape extracts on BP and vascular function was assessed in 60 untreated, mildly hypertensive subjects after four weeks intervention. Both extracts (grape-red wine and grape alone) had high concentrations of anthocyanins and flavonols, but the grape alone was relatively poor in catechins and procyanidin ... 24-hour ambulatory systolic/diastolic BPs were significantly lower in the grape-wine extract intervention (135.9 ± 1.3/84.7 �� 0.8 mmHg; mean ± SEM) compared to placebo (138.9 ± 1.3/86.6 ± 1.2 mmHg), predominantly during daytime. Plasma concentrations of the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 decreased by 10%, but other measures of vascular function were not affected. Grape juice extract alone had no effect on BP or any measures of vascular function. Polyphenol-rich food products, and may be specifically catechins and procyanidins, may thus help sustain a healthy BP and contribute to the healthy Mediterranean lifestyle" - See wine extract at Amazon.com and grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• Validation of two automatic devices: Omron HEM-7252G-HP and Omron HEM-7251G for self-measurement of blood pressure according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010 - Blood Press Monit. 2015 Apr 29 - "European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010 (ESH-IP revision 2010) ... The Omron HEM-7252G-HP and HEM-7251G passed all the requirements of the ESH-IP 2010 revision" - Note:  I think that's an old model which looks like the Omron 10.
• Garlic for hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Phytomedicine. 2015 Mar 15 - "A total of seven randomized, placebo-controlled trials were identified. Compared with the placebo, this meta-analysis revealed a significant lowering effect of garlic on both systolic BP (WMD: -6.71 mmHg; 95% CI: -12.44 to -0.99; P = 0.02) and diastolic BP (WMD: -4.79 mmHg; 95% CI: -6.60 to -2.99; P < 0.00001). No serious adverse events were reported in any of the trials" - [Nutra USA] - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Gut Dysbiosis Is Linked to Hypertension - Hypertension. 2015 Apr 13 - "These observations demonstrate that high blood pressure is associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, both in animal and human hypertension. They suggest that dietary intervention to correct gut microbiota could be an innovative nutritional therapeutic strategy for hypertension" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D status, hypertension and ischemic stroke: a clinical perspective - J Hum Hypertens. 2015 Mar 26 - "Meticulous management of hypertension, regular monitoring of serum 25(OH)D levels and treatment of severe vitamin D deficiency, particularly in hypertensive subjects, could help in effective prevention of stroke" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Prevalence of Prehypertension in Mexico and Its Association With Hypomagnesemia - Am J Hypertens. 2015 Jan 23 - "The prevalence of preHTN in the Mexican population is 37.5%, and hypomagnesemia is strongly associated with preHTN" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Blueberries may help reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness - Science Daily, 1/8/15 - "Over an eight-week period, 48 postmenopausal women with pre- and stage-1 hypertension were randomly assigned to receive either 22 grams of freeze-dried blueberry powder -- the equivalent to one cup of fresh blueberries -- or 22 grams of a placebo powder ... At the end of the eight weeks, participants receiving the blueberry powder on average had a 7 mmHg (5.1 percent) decrease in systolic blood pressure, which is the top number in the blood pressure reading that measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. They also saw a 5 mmHg (6.3 percent) reduction in diastolic blood pressure, or the bottom number measuring the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats ... Additionally, participants in the blueberry-treated group had an average reduction of 97 cm/second (6.5 percent) in arterial stiffness" - See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• The Effects of Long-Chain Omega-3 Fish Oils and Multivitamins on Cognitive and Cardiovascular Function: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial - J Am Coll Nutr. 2015 Jan 7:1-11 - "Absolute increases in the red blood cell omega-3/6 ratio were associated with improvements in spatial working memory. The group receiving 6 g fish oil without the multivitamin displayed a significant decrease in aortic pulse pressure and aortic augmentation pressure, two measures of aortic blood pressure and aortic stiffness" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• Effect of Garlic on Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2015 Jan 5 - "Pooled analysis showed that garlic intake caused a 3.75-mm Hg reduction (95% confidence interval [CI], -5.04 to -2.45, I2 =30.7%; P<.001) in systolic BP and a 3.39-mm Hg reduction (95% CI, -4.14 to -2.65, I2 =67%; P<.001) in diastolic BP compared with controls. Meta-analysis of subgroups showed a significant reduction in systolic BP in hypertensive (-4.4 mm Hg; 95% CI, -7.37 to -1.42, I2 =0.0%; P=.004) but not normotensive patients" - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure among overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis - J Hypertens. 2014 Dec 4 - "Fourteen RCTs with 971 participants (47% women) were pooled for analysis. Green tea or GTE produced a significant effect on both SBP (mean difference -1.42 mmHg, 95% confidence interval -2.47 to -0.36, P = 0.008; I = 52%, P = 0.01 for heterogeneity) and DBP (mean difference -1.25 mmHg, 95% confidence interval -2.32 to -0.19, P = 0.02; I = 74%, P < 0.001 for heterogeneity), compared with placebo" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Tea consumption is inversely related to 5-year blood pressure change among adults in Jiangsu, China: a cross-sectional study - Nutr J. 2014 Oct 14;13(1):98 - "compared with no consumption of tea, those with daily total tea/green tea consumption of at least 10 g had 2.41 mmHg and 3.68 mmHg smaller increase of DBP respectively" - [Nutra USA]
• The effect of vitamin D supplementation on blood pressure in patients with elevated blood pressure and vitamin D deficiency: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Blood Press Monit. 2014 Oct 27 - "42 outpatients with elevated BP and vitamin D deficiency were assigned randomly to two groups: the vitamin D-supplemented group (VDG), who received one capsule containing 50 000 IU of cholecalciferol weekly, and the placebo group (PG), who received one similar capsule containing oral liquid paraffin as placebo for 8 weeks ... At the end of the intervention, the mean SBP and DBP, and the MAP decreased significantly in VDG compared with the PG ... The mean changes in SBP (-6.4±5.3 vs. 0.9±3.7 mmHg, PV<0.001), DBP (-2.4±3.7 vs. 1.0±2.7 mmHg, PV=0.003), and MAP (-3.7±3.6 vs. 0.9±2.5 mmHg, PV<0.001) were lower in the VDG than PG" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• High protein diets lead to lower blood pressure, study finds - Science Daily, 9/11/14 - "high blood pressure (HBP) ... participants consuming the highest amount of protein (an average of 100 g protein/day) had a 40 percent lower risk of having high blood pressure compared to the lowest intake level ... The researchers analyzed protein intakes of healthy participants from the Framingham Offspring Study and followed them for development of high blood pressure over an 11-year period. They found that adults who consumed more protein, whether from animal or plant sources, had statistically significantly lower systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels after four years of follow-up ... When the diet also was characterized by higher intakes of fiber, higher protein intakes led to 40-60 percent reductions in risk of HBP"
• Diets Higher in Protein Predict Lower High Blood Pressure Risk in Framingham Offspring Study Adults - Am J Hypertens. 2014 Sep 6 - "high BP (HBP) ... Higher protein intakes were associated with lower mean SBP and DBP. Both animal and plant proteins lowered BP and led to statistically significant reductions in HBP risk (hazard ratios of 0.68 and 0.51, respectively). Participants in the highest tertile of total protein intake had 40% less risk (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.78) of developing HBP. Beneficial effects of protein were apparent for men and women and for normal-weight and overweight individuals. Higher protein diets also characterized by higher fiber intakes led to a 59% reduction (95% CI, 0.37-0.66) in HBP risk"
• Probiotics Benefit Blood Pressure in Meta-Analysis - Medscape, 7/21/14 - "the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study showed a 3.3 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure, along with a 1.4 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure, which were associated with a 22% relative reduction in risk of cardiovascular mortality, MI, or stroke ... Probiotic species varied among the trials; four studies used yogurt as the source of probiotic bacteria, two used fermented and sour milk, one used probiotic supplements in capsule form, one used probiotic rosehip drinks, and one used probiotic cheese ... For those who ate more than one probiotic species, the reduction in systolic blood pressure was 5.8 mmHg. Those who consumed probiotics for more than eight weeks had a 4.9 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure" - [Abstract] - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 6/26/14 - "In the new study, researchers analyzed genetic data from more than 146,500 people of European descent in Europe and North America. For each 10 percent increase in vitamin D levels, there was an 8 percent decrease in the risk of developing high blood pressure" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D and nifedipine in the treatment of Chinese patients with grades I-II essential hypertension: A randomized placebo-controlled trial - Atherosclerosis. 2014 Jul;235(1):102-9 - "Low vitamin D status has been shown to be associated with hypertension ... All patients received a conventional antihypertensive drug (nifedipine, 30mg/d). One hundred and twenty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive vitamin D (n=63, 2000IU/d) or a placebo (n=63) as an add-on to nifedipine, by the method of permutated block randomization ... In vitamin D supplementation group, there was a significant increase in mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels from baseline (19.4±11.6ng/ml) to 6 months (34.1±12.2ng/ml; p<0.001). At 6 months, the primary end points, a difference in the fall of 24-h mean blood pressure, between the groups was -6.2mmHg (95% CI -11.2; -1.1) for systolic blood pressure (p<0.001) and -4.2mmHg (95% CI -8.8; -0.3) for diastolic blood pressure (p<0.001) under intention to treat analysis. In patients with vitamin D <30ng/ml at baseline (n=113), 24-h mean blood pressure decreased by 7.1/5.7mmHg (p<0.001)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• The effect of chlorogenic acid on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials - J Hum Hypertens. 2014 Jun 19 - "Meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant reduction in systolic blood pressure in favour of CGA (mean difference (MD): -4.31 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval (CI): -5.60 to -3.01; I2=65%; P<0.00001). Meta-analysis also showed a significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure favouring CGA (MD: -3.68 mm��Hg; 95% CI: -3.91 to -3.45; I2=97%; P<0.00001)" - See artichoke extract at Amazon.com and chlorogenic acid at Amazon.com.
• Effect of resveratrol on blood pressure: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Clin Nutr. 2014 Mar 31 - "Six studies comprising a total of 247 subjects were included in our meta-analysis. The overall outcome of the meta-analysis indicates that resveratrol consumption can not significantly reduce SBP and DBP. Subgroup analyses indicated that higher-dose of resveratrol consumption (≥150 mg/d) significantly reduces SBP of -11.90 mmHg (95% CI: -20.99, -2.81 mmHg, P = 0.01), whereas lower dose of resveratrol did not show a significant lowering effect on SBP" - Note:  A 12 point reduction in systolic is more than you’d get from prescription medication plus the systolic is what most have a problem with.  150 mg per day isn’t that big a dose.  I take 500 mg per day.  See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.  ReserveAge Resveratrol Vegetarian Capsules, 500 Mg, 60-Count is what I take.
• Chowing down on watermelon could lower blood pressure, study suggests - Science Daily, 4/3/14 - "the group was divided into two. For the first six weeks, one group was given four grams of the amino acid L-citrulline and two grams of L-arginine per day, both from watermelon extract. The other group was given a placebo for 6 weeks ... consuming watermelon had a positive impact on aortic blood pressure and other vascular parameters" - See L-citrulline at Amazon.com and L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• The effect of green tea on blood pressure and lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2014 Jan 31 - "A meta-analysis revealed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure favouring green tea (MD: -1.94 mmHg; 95% CI: -2.95 to -0.93; I2 = 8%; p = 0.0002). Similar results were also observed for total cholesterol (MD: -0.13 mmol/l; 95% CI: -0.2 to -0.07; I2 = 8%; p < 0.0001) and LDL cholesterol (MD: -0.19 mmol/l; 95% CI: -0.3 to -0.09; I2 = 70%; p = 0.0004)" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid and Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Am J Hypertens. 2014 Mar 6 - "randomized controlled trials (RCTs) ... Seventy RCTs were included. Compared with placebo, EPA+DHA provision reduced systolic blood pressure (-1.52mm Hg; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -2.25 to -0.79) and diastolic blood pressure ( - 0.99mm Hg; 95% CI = - 1.54 to - 0.44) in the meta-analyses of all studies combined. The strongest effects of EPA+DHA were observed among untreated hypertensive subjects (systolic blood pressure = - 4.51mm Hg, 95% CI = - 6.12 to - 2.83; diastolic blood pressure = - 3.05mm Hg, 95% CI = - 4.35 to - 1.74), although blood pressure also was lowered among normotensive subjects (systolic blood pressure = - 1.25mm Hg, 95% CI = - 2.05 to - 0.46; diastolic blood pressure = - 0.62mm Hg, 95% CI = - 1.22 to - 0.02)" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• Dietary fish oil improves endothelial function and lowers blood pressure via suppression of sphingolipid-mediated contractions in spontaneously hypertensive rats - J Hypertens. 2014 Feb 24 - "Dietary fish oil lowers BP in SHRs and improves endothelial function in association with suppression of sphingolipid-dependent vascular contraction" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• Resveratrol Decrease Fructose-Induced Oxidative Stress Mediated by NADPH Oxidase via an AMPK-Dependent Mechanism - Br J Pharmacol. 2014 Feb 18 - "Resveratrol, an important antioxidant in red wine, improves NO bioavailability to prevent cardiovascular disease ... Collectively, resveratrol decreased BP through the phosphorylation of AMPK, AKT, and nNOS in fructose-fed rats. These novel findings suggest that the resveratrol may be a potential pharmacological candidate for the treatment of hypertension" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Combined therapeutic benefit of mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, MitoQ10, and angiotensin receptor blocker, losartan, on cardiovascular function - J Hypertens. 2013 Dec 4 - "Eight-week-old male stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSPs, n=8-11) were treated with low-dose losartan (2.5mg/kg per day); MitoQ10 (500μmol/l); a combination of MitoQ10 and losartan (M+L); or vehicle for 8 weeks. Systolic pressure and pulse pressure were significantly lower in M+L rats (167.1±2.9mmHg; 50.2±2.05mmHg) than in untreated SHRSP (206.6±9mmHg, P<0.001; 63.7±2.7mmHg, P=0.001) and demonstrated greater improvement than MitoQ10 or low-dose losartan alone, as measured by radiotelemetry. Left ventricular mass index was significantly reduced from 22.8±0.74 to 20.1±0.61mg/mm in the combination group" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.
• Hypovitaminosis D and nocturnal hypertension in obese children: an interesting link - J Hum Hypertens. 2013 Dec 5 - "Low levels of vitamin D in obese children were associated with a higher BP burden, especially at night" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Grape seed procyanidins in pre- and mild hypertension: a registry study - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:313142 - "The efficacy of a standardized grape seed procyanidins extract (GSPE, Enovita) to decrease blood pressure when associated with nondrug intervention (diet and lifestyle modifications) was investigated in a controlled registry study involving 119 healthy, pre- and mildly hypertensive subjects. Two dosages of Enovita were evaluated (150 and 300 mg/die) ... After four months of treatment, a statistically significant higher, and dose-dependent, improvement in all endpoints was observed in the treatment groups compared to that of the control, with blood pressure normalizing in 93% of the higher dosage (300 mg) treatment group. Taken together, these observations suggest that GSPEs have beneficial cardiovascular effects that complement current intervention strategies in the hypertension area. The effect on blood pressure adds to the beneficial effects of GSPEs on the cardiovascular disease (CVD) phenotype associated with the oxidation of membrane lipids (endothelial dysfunction, formation of oxidized LDL, and activation of phagocytic cells)" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95 at Amazon.com.
• Lycopene supplement and blood pressure: an updated meta-analysis of intervention trials - Nutrients. 2013 Sep 18;5(9):3696-712 - "Six studies met our inclusion criteria, and the pooled analysis demonstrated a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure (SBP) (mean SBP = -4.953 [-8.820, -1.086], p = 0.012) with obvious heterogeneity (p = 0.034, I2 = 58.5%). Subgroup analysis results showed that higher dosage of lycopene supplement (>12 mg/day) could lower SBP more significantly, especially for participants with baseline SBP >120 mmHg, or Asians, while lycopene intervention had no statistical effect on diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (mean DBP = -3.809 [-8.177, 0.560], p = 0.087), and obvious heterogeneity was also observed (p = 0.074, I2 = 53.1%). Our present study suggests that lycopene supplement >12 mg/day might effectively decrease SBP, particularly among Asians or population with higher baseline SBP" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Potent Antihypertensive Action of Dietary Flaxseed in Hypertensive Patients - Hypertension. 2013 Oct 14 - "patients (110 in total) ingested a variety of foods that contained 30 g of milled flaxseed or placebo each day over 6 months. Plasma levels of the ω-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid and enterolignans increased 2- to 50-fold in the flaxseed-fed group but did not increase significantly in the placebo group ... SBP was ≈10 mm Hg lower, and DBP was ≈7 mm Hg lower in the flaxseed group compared with placebo after 6 months. Patients who entered the trial with a SBP ���140 mm Hg at baseline obtained a significant reduction of 15 mm Hg in SBP and 7 mm Hg in DBP from flaxseed ingestion ... α-linolenic acid levels correlated with SBP and DBP, and lignan levels correlated with changes in DBP" - See flax seed at Amazon.com.
• Effects of the DASH diet on blood pressure in patients with and without metabolic syndrome: results from the DASH trial - J Hum Hypertens. 2013 Sep 26 - "This paper is a subgroup analysis of the DASH trial, in which we examined the effect of study diets on BP in participants with and without MS ... participants were randomized to receive a control diet, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, or the DASH diet ... In the MS subgroup, the DASH diet compared with the control diet reduced systolic BP by 4.9 mm Hg (P=0.006) and diastolic BP by 1.9 mm Hg (P=0.15). In the Non-MS subgroup, corresponding net BP reductions were 5.2 mm Hg (P<0.001) and 2.9 mm Hg (P<0.001), respectively"
• Blood Pressure Responses to Dietary Sodium and Potassium Interventions and the Cold Pressor Test: The GenSalt Replication Study in Rural North China - Am J Hypertens. 2013 Sep 4 - "The dietary intervention included a 7-day low sodium (51.3 mmol/day), a 7-day high sodium (307.8 mmol/day), and a 7-day high sodium with potassium supplementation (307.8 mmol sodium and 60 mmol potassium/day) ... Systolic and diastolic BP responses (mean +/- SD (range), mm Hg) were 8.1+/-8.4 (-39.1 to 18.2) and -3.5+/-5.1 (-25.1 to 11.1) to low sodium, 9.1+/-8.4 (-13.3 to 33.1) and 4.0+/-5.4 (-16.0 to 20.7) to high sodium, and -4.6+/-5.8 (-31.8 to 11.6) and -1.9+/-4.3 (-16.9 to 14.2) to potassium supplementation, respectively" - Note:  Put in simpler terms:  Low sodium, systolic increased 8.1, diastolic decreased 3.5.  High sodium, systolic increased 9.1, diastolic increased 4.0.  Sodium with potassium, systolic decreased 4.6, diastolic decreased 1.9.  So the sodium with potassium was better than the low sodium. - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Effect of probiotic fermented milk on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials - Br J Nutr. 2013 Jul 3:1-7 - "PubMed, Cochrane library and the ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched up to March 2012 to identify eligible studies ... probiotic fermented milk, compared with placebo, produced a significant reduction of 3.10 mmHg (95 % CI - 4.64, - 1.56) in systolic BP and 1.09 mmHg (95 % CI - 2.11, - 0.06) in diastolic BP. Subgroup analyses suggested a slightly greater effect on systolic BP in hypertensive participants than in normotensive ones ( - 3.98 v. - 2.09 mmHg). Analysis of trials conducted in Japan showed a greater reduction than those conducted in European countries for both systolic BP ( - 6.12 v. - 2.08 mmHg) and diastolic BP ( - 3.45 v. - 0.52 mmHg)"
• Salt loading and potassium supplementation: effects on ambulatory arterial stiffness index and endothelin-1 levels in normotensive and mild hypertensive patients - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2013 Jul;15(7):485-96 - "The authors investigated effects of excessive salt intake and potassium supplementation on ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in salt-sensitive and non-salt-sensitive individuals. AASI and symmetric AASI (s-AASI) were used as indicators of arterial stiffness. Plasma ET-1 levels were used as an index of endothelial function ... After 3 days of baseline investigation, participants were maintained sequentially for 7 days each on diets of low salt (51.3 mmol/d), high salt (307.7 mmol/d), and high salt+potassium (60 mmol/d) ... High-salt intervention significantly increased BP, AASI, s-AASI (all P<.001); potassium supplementation reversed increased plasma ET-1 levels. High-salt-induced changes in BP, s-AASI, and plasma ET-1 were greater in salt-sensitive individuals. Potassium supplementation decreased systolic BP and ET-1 to a significantly greater extent in salt-sensitive vs non-salt-sensitive individuals ... dietary salt and increasing daily potassium improves arterial compliance and ameliorates endothelial dysfunction" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D improves mood and blood pressure in women with diabetes - Science Daily, 6/25/13 - "The pilot study included 46 women who were an average age of 55 years, had diabetes an average of 8 years and insufficient blood levels of vitamin D (18 ng/ml). They took a weekly dose (50,000 International Units) of vitamin D ... After six months, their vitamin D blood levels reached sufficient levels (average 38 ng/ml) and their moods improved significantly. For example, in a 20-question depression symptom survey, scores decreased from 26.8 at the beginning of the study (indicating moderate depression) to 12.2 at six months (indicating no depression. (The depression scale ranges from 0 to 60, with higher numbers indicating more symptoms of depression.) ... Blood pressure also improved, with the upper number decreasing from 140.4 mm Hg to 132.5 mm Hg. And their weight dropped from an average of 226.1 pounds to 223.6 pounds" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Genetic Research Clarifies Link Between Hypertension and Vitamin D Deficiency - Science Daily, 6/10/13 - "Low levels of vitamin D can trigger hypertension ... those with high concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) had reduced blood pressure and therefore a reduced risk of hypertension ... for every 10% increase in 25(OH)D concentrations, there was a 8.1% decrease in the risk of developing hypertension" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Chronic resveratrol consumption improves brachial flow-mediated dilatation in healthy obese adults - J Hypertens. 2013 Jun 5 - "We have previously demonstrated acute dose-dependent increases of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery after resveratrol consumption in mildly hypertensive, overweight/obese adults. Resveratrol supplementation has also been shown to increase cerebral blood flow acutely, without affecting cognition ... Twenty-eight obese but otherwise healthy adults (BMI: 33.3 +/- 0.6 kg/m) were randomized to take a single 75 mg capsule of trans-resveratrol (Resvida) or placebo daily for 6 weeks each in a double-blind crossover supplementation trial ... A single dose of resveratrol (75 mg) following chronic resveratrol supplementation resulted in a 35% greater acute FMD response than the equivalent placebo supplementation. These FMD improvements remained significant after adjusting for baseline FMD ... Daily resveratrol consumption was well tolerated and has the potential to maintain healthy circulatory function in obese adults" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resvida at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com (1,875 mg of L-citrulline) and L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com and Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com (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 oil at Amazon.com and rice bran oil at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.
• 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 vitamin C at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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 L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• 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 products at Amazon.com and piperine at Amazon.com.
• 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 arginine at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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 conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.
• 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 ubiquinol products at Amazon.com and potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• 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 oil at Amazon.com.  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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 Pycnogenol at Amazon.com and ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 citrate at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 protein at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 myo inositol at Amazon.com.
• 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 resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 flavonoids at Amazon.com.
• 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 Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.
• 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 Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

• 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 inulin at Amazon.com.
• 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 citrulline malate at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• 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 conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 citrate at Amazon.com.
• 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 citrate at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 citrate at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 citrate at Amazon.com.
• 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 grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 Pycnogenol at Amazon.com and grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com or Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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 acetyl l-carnitine at Amazon.com and the alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.
• 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 ubiquinol at Amazon.com.
• 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"
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 at Amazon.com.
• 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 grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 melatonin at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 folic acid at Amazon.com.
• 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"
• 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 folic acid at Amazon.com.
• 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"
• 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 folic acid at Amazon.com.
• 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 green tea extract at Amazon.com.  My favorite is Jarrow Green Tea at Amazon.com.
• 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"
• 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 grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 melatonin at Amazon.com.
• 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 grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 melatonin at Amazon.com.
• 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 potassium supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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 vitamin E at Amazon.com.
• 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 green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• 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"
• 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 potassium supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 potassium supplements at Amazon.com.
• 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 ubiquinol at Amazon.com.
• 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 aspirin at Amazon.com.
• 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"
• 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 grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• 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 vitamin C at Amazon.com.
• 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 ubiquinol at Amazon.com.
• 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 Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• 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
• 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"
• 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, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.
• 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"
• 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"
• 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 Amazon.com.
• 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"
• 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."
• 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"
• 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:

• Is Acetaminophen Really Safer Than NSAIDs in Heart Disease? - Medscape, 9/15/22 - "The analysis found a significant correlation between the use of acetaminophen and elevated systolic blood pressure ... acetaminophen (3-4 g/day) vs placebo ... They found that patients receiving acetaminophen had significantly higher systolic blood pressure compared with those receiving placebo (standard mean difference [SMD] = 0.35"
• Despite a ‘bucketload’ of drugs, his blood pressure was perilously high - Washington Post, 4/23/22 - "Rosen saw the first endocrinologist in November 2018. She suspected he might have the disorder most commonly associated with resistant hypertension — primary aldosteronism (PA), also known as Conn or Conn’s syndrome after University of Michigan endocrinologist Jerome W. Conn, who discovered it in 1954 ... PA is caused by a surfeit of aldosterone, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Excess aldosterone can cause the kidneys to retain sodium and lose potassium, which raises blood pressure ... But the junior doctor who worked with his endocrinologist ruled out the possibility. “You don’t have it. Your aldo[sterone] is too low,” Rosen remembers being told. Rosen said he protested that his understanding of the 50-page Endocrine Society guidelines, along with his calculation of the blood test ratio, suggested otherwise ... An interventional radiologist who specializes in the vein sampling procedure found that only one adrenal gland was involved, which meant that Rosen was a candidate for surgery. (“You need only half of one adrenal gland to be totally normal,” Young said.) ... In June 2019, Rosen underwent laparoscopic surgery at UCLA Medical Center. Over the next year, he lost 35 pounds and his health improved dramatically. He now needs a low dose of only one blood pressure medicine to achieve readings of 124/80 ... “I feel much better now than I did before,” he said. “And I’m much more active.” - Note: I can associate with the runaround he got from endocrinologists. In my experience, if it's not something easy that has a cookie cutter approach, they don't want anything to do with you. Bottom line: don't let them jack you around., Do your own research and confront them with it. I've had endocrinologists outright lie and say things like high SHBG doesn't contribute to osteoporosis. it's like: "oh, we don't have a cookie-cutter approach for that so  we're not going to address it".
• Efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan versus olmesartan in Japanese patients with essential hypertension: a randomized, double-blind, multicenter study - Hypertens Res 2022 Jan 21 - "Patients (n = 1161, aged ≥20 years) with mild to moderate hypertension (mean sitting systolic blood pressure [msSBP] ≥150 to <180 mmHg) were randomized to receive sacubitril/valsartan 200 mg (n = 387), sacubitril/valsartan 400 mg (n = 385), or olmesartan 20 mg (n = 389) once daily for 8 weeks. The primary assessment was a reduction in msSBP from baseline with sacubitril/valsartan 200 mg vs. olmesartan 20 mg at Week 8. Secondary assessments included msSBP reduction with sacubitril/valsartan 400 mg vs. olmesartan at Week 8 and reductions in mean sitting diastolic blood pressure (msDBP), mean sitting pulse pressure (msPP), and overall blood pressure (BP) control rate for all treatment groups at Week 8. Sacubitril/valsartan 200 mg provided a significantly greater reduction in msSBP from baseline than olmesartan at Week 8 (between-treatment difference: -5.01 mmHg [95% confidence interval: -6.95 to -3.06 mmHg, P < 0.001 for noninferiority and superiority]). Greater reductions in msSBP with sacubitril/valsartan 400 mg vs. olmesartan, as well as in msDBP and msPP with both doses of sacubitril/valsartan vs. olmesartan (P < 0.05 for all), were also observed. Patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan achieved an overall higher BP control rate. The safety and tolerability profiles of sacubitril/valsartan were generally comparable to those of olmesartan. The adverse event rate with sacubitril/valsartan was not dose-dependent. Treatment with sacubitril/valsartan was effective and provided superior BP reduction, with a higher proportion of patients achieving target BP goals than treatment with olmesartan in Japanese patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension"
• Long-term use of blood pressure drugs may cause kidney damage, study suggests - Science Daily, 1/12/22 - "the researchers found, long-term use of drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system, such as ACE inhibitors, or angiotensin receptor blockers, have a similar effect. These drugs are widely used for many purposes, including treating high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and heart attacks, as well as to prevent major heart problems. But long-term use of the drugs was associated with hardened kidney vessels in both lab mice and humans, the scientists found"
• Optimal blood pressure helps our brains age slower - Science Daily, 10/12/21 - "Normal blood pressure is defined by pressure below 120/80, whereas an optimal and healthier blood pressure is closer to 110/70 ... Compared to a person with a high blood pressure of 135/85, someone with an optimal reading of 110/70 was found to have a brain age that appears more than six months younger by the time they reach middle age"
• Level of systolic blood pressure within the normal range and risk of cardiovascular events in the absence of risk factors in Chinese - J Hum Hypertens 2021 Sep 3 - "A SBP between 90 and 129 mmHg was not associated with an increased CVD risk in a healthy population"
• Effects of Testosterone Treatment, With and Without Exercise Training, on Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged and Older Men - Medscape, 7/30/21 - "Average 24-h systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased with T treatment (testosterone*time, p = .035). Average 24-h SBP increased in T+Ex ... Ex increased average 24-h pulse pressure (PP, exercise*time, p = .022), largely during daytime hours ... There was a main effect of T to increase 24-h SBP, primarily seen when T was combined with Ex. Exercise alone decreased 24-h and night-time DBP; an effect attenuated by T. BP should be carefully assessed and monitored, when prescribing T treatment to middle-aged and older men, especially when combined with exercise training"
• Final SPRINT Data Confirm Lower BP Is Better - Medscape, 5/20/21 - "Final results from the landmark SPRINT study confirm that aggressive blood pressure (BP) management, targeting a systolic blood pressure (SBP) below 120 mm Hg, significantly reduces the risk for heart disease, stroke, and death from these diseases, as well as death from all causes ... researchers enrolled 9361 adults 50 years and older with a SBP between 130 and 180 mm Hg who were at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) but did not have a history of diabetes or stroke. Patients were randomly assigned to an intensive treatment target (SBP < 120 mm Hg) or a standard treatment target (SBP < 140 mm Hg) ... In the final analysis, the rate of the primary outcome was 1.77% per year in the intensive-treatment group and 2.40% per year in the standard-treatment group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; 95% CI, 0.63 - 0.86; P < .001), similar to the earlier SPRINT findings ... All-cause mortality was 1.06% per year in the intensive-treatment group and 1.41% per year in the standard-treatment group"
• Have high blood pressure? You may want to check your meds - Science Daily, 5/6/21 - "Which are the most likely culprits? Based on the study findings, the three most common classes of medications were antidepressants; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that include ibuprofen and naproxen; and oral steroids used to treat conditions such as gout, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or after an organ transplant. These medications were reported by 9%, 7% and 2% of participants, respectively. Other medications associated with blood pressure elevation were also reported, including antipsychotics, certain oral contraceptives and popular decongestants"
• Study suggests new advice for medics treating high blood pressure - Science Daily, 4/13/21 - "The study by researchers at NUI Galway, Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Medical School found no evidence that diastolic blood pressure -- the bottom reading on a blood pressure test -- can be harmful to patients when reduced to levels that were previously considered to be too low ... There appears to be no lower limit of normal for diastolic blood pressure and no evidence in this genetic analysis that diastolic blood pressure can be too low ... There was no genetic evidence of increased risk of heart disease when a patient's diastolic blood pressure reading is as low as 50 ... The authors also confirmed that values of the top, systolic, blood pressure reading above 120 increased the risk of heart disease and stroke ... Because doctors often focus on keeping the bottom blood pressure reading in the 70-90 range, they may have been undertreating some adults with persistently high systolic blood pressure ... My advice now to GPs is to treat their patients with high blood pressure to a systolic level of between 100-130mmHg, where possible and without side effects, and to not worry about the diastolic blood pressure value"
• Women have a lower range of 'normal' blood pressure than men - Science Daily, 2/16/21 - "In doing so, the research team identified that while 120 mmHg was the threshold of risk in men, 110 mmHg or lower was the threshold of risk in women. Systolic blood pressure levels that were higher than these thresholds were associated with risk for developing any type of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, heart failure and strokes"
• High blood pressure at any age, no matter how long you have it, may speed cognitive decline - Science Daily, 12/14/20 - "Having high blood pressure is a risk factor for cognitive decline, which includes such things as memory, verbal fluency, attention and concentration. Blood pressure of 120 mmHg -- 129 mmHg systolic (the top number in a reading) or higher is considered elevated. Systolic pressure above 130 mmHg, or diastolic pressure (the bottom number) of 80 mmHg or higher is considered hypertension ... Systolic blood pressure between 121 and 139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure between 81 and 89 mmHg with no antihypertensive medication use was associated with accelerated cognitive performance decline among middle-aged and older individuals ... The speed of decline in cognition happened regardless of hypertension duration, meaning high blood pressure for any length of time, even a short duration, might impact a person's speed of cognitive decline ... Adults with uncontrolled hypertension tended to experience notably faster declines in memory and global cognitive function than adults who had controlled hypertension"
• How should we measure blood pressure? Implications of the fourth blood pressure measurement in office blood pressure - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2020 Dec 14 - "According to the European Hypertension Guidelines regarding office blood pressure measurements (OBPMs), the mean between second/third or third/fourth OBPM should be taken if the first two readings differ by ≤10 or >10 mmHg, respectively"
• Optimal combinations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in Korea: A nationwide population-based cohort study - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2020 Dec 14 - "We investigated the optimal combinations of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels for lowest mortality in participants not taking hypertensive medication at the study baseline using nationwide representative databases ... A survival spline curve was presented, and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was performed. SBP ≥ 140 group and DBP ≥ 90 group had the highest risk of mortality. Within SBP < 120, the HR (95% CIs) for all-cause mortality (ACM) was the lowest for DBP 70-79. Within SBP 120-139, the HR (95% CIs) for ACM was significantly lower for DBP 70-79. Within SBP ≥ 140, the HR (95% CIs) for ACM was significantly lower for DBP 80-89. Conversely, within SBP ≥ 140, DBP < 70 showed the highest risk for ACM. Similar relationships were observed when survival spline curves and CART analysis were used. The combination of SBP and DBP discriminated better than SBP or DBP alone for mortality. The effect of DBP on mortality varies according to the SBP range. It is more effective to evaluate the effect of SBP and DBP jointly for clinical outcomes"
• J-curve relationship between admission SBP and 2-year cardiovascular mortality in older patients admitted for acute coronary syndrome - J Hyperten 2020 Nov 16 - "SBP quartiles: Q1, less than 120 mmHg; Q2, from 120 to 129 mmHg; Q3, from 130 to 143 mmHg; and Q4, at or above 144 mmHg ... After adjustment for potential confounders, patients in Q1 had higher risk for 2-year cardiovascular death by Cox proportional hazard model compared with patients in Q2 [hazard ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.12-2.21, P = 0.009], whereas patients in Q3 or Q4 exhibited a trend towards increased risk for 2-year cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 1.33, 95% CI, 0.95-1.86, P = 0.094, for Q3 vs. Q2; and hazard ratio, 1.28, 95% CI, 0.91-1.82, P = 0.160, for Q4 vs. Q2). Meanwhile, when compared with patients in Q1, patients in Q2 had lower risk for 2-year cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45-0.89, P = 0.009) whereas patients in Q3 or Q4 had similar risk for cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 0.85, 95% CI, 0.63-1.14, P = 0.272, for Q3 vs. Q1; and hazard ratio, 0.82, 95% CI, 0.59-1.13, P = 0.221, for Q4 vs. Q1). However, low-admission SBP was not an independent predictor of 2-year all-cause mortality in this population"
• More than one drink a day may raise high blood pressure risk in adults with Type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 9/9/20 - "light drinking was not associated with elevated blood pressure or either stage of high blood pressure; ... moderate drinking was associated with increased odds of elevated blood pressure by 79%; Stage 1 high blood pressure by 66%; and Stage 2 high blood pressure by 62%; ... heavy drinking was associated with increased odds of elevated blood pressure by 91%; Stage 1 high blood pressure by 149% (a 2.49-fold increase); and Stage 2 high blood pressure by 204% (a 3.04-fold increase); and the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk and severity of high blood pressure."
• Blood pressure-lowering is even more beneficial than previously thought - Science Daily, 9/1/20 - "Participants were divided into two groups: those with a prior diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and those without. Each group was divided into seven subgroups based on systolic blood pressure at study entry (less than 120, 120-129, 130-139, 140-149, 150-159, 160-169, 170 and above mmHg) ... Over an average four years of follow-up, each 5 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure lowered the relative risk of major cardiovascular events by about 10%. The risks for stroke, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and death from cardiovascular disease were reduced by 13%, 7% and 14% and 5%, respectively"
• Low blood pressure linked to high mortality in older adults - Science Daily, 3/7/20 - "people aged 75 or over with low blood pressure (below 130 / 80) had increased mortality rates in the follow-up, compared to those with normal blood pressure. This was especially pronounced in 'frail' individuals, who had 62 per cent increased risk of death during the ten year follow-up ... Although high blood pressure increased risk of cardiovascular incidents, such as heart attacks, it was not linked to higher mortality in frail adults over 75. Older people aged 85 and over who had raised blood pressure actually had reduced mortality rates, compared to those with lower blood pressure, regardless of whether they were frail or not"
• Bed time is the best time to take blood pressure medication - Science Daily, 10/22/19 - "patients who took their medication at bedtime had nearly half the risk (45% reduction) of dying from or suffering heart attacks, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure or requiring a procedure to unblock narrowed arteries (coronary revascularisation), compared to patients who took their medication on waking"
• More aggressive blood pressure control benefits brains of older adults - Science Daily, 10/15/19 - "after three years, the accrual of white matter lesions in the brain were reduced by up to 40% in the those patients receiving the intensive blood pressure therapy compared to those who were on standard therapy ... Further, study participants on the intensive therapy had a lower rate of cardiovascular events including heart attack, stroke and hospitalization from heart failure than those on standard therapy ... The INFINITY trial's results show that maintaining a systolic blood pressure of less than 130 mmHg is safe, and a reasonable and potentially more beneficial treatment goal for older adults with hypertension ... Intensive treatment of hypertension reduces the progression of small blood vessel disease in the brain and significantly lowers patients' risk of nonfatal cardiovascular events"
• Gum disease linked with higher risk of hypertension - Science Daily, 9/24/19 - "Moderate-to-severe periodontitis was associated with a 22% raised risk for hypertension, while severe periodontitis was linked with 49% higher odds of hypertension"
• Effect of Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction on Left Ventricular Mass, Structure, Function, and Fibrosis in the SPRINT-HEART - Hypertension. 2019 Jul 1 - "In the intensive versus standard BP control group at 18 months, there was no difference in change in LVM (mean±SE =-2.7±0.5 g versus -2.3±0.7 g; P=0.368), ejection fraction, or native T1 ( P=0.79), but there was a larger decrease in LVM/end-diastolic volume ratio (-0.04±0.01 versus -0.01±0.01; P=0.002) a measure of concentric LV remodeling. There were fewer cardiovascular events in the intensive control group, but no significant association between the reduced events and change in LVM or any other cardiac magnetic resonance imaging measure. In SPRINT-HEART, contrary to our hypothesis, there were no significant between-group differences in LVM, function, or myocardial T1 at 18-month follow-up. These results suggests that mediators other than these LV measures contribute to the improved cardiovascular outcomes with intensive BP control"
• Trips to the toilet at night are a sign of high blood pressure - Science Daily, 3/30/19 - "Nocturia (one or more nocturia events per night) was significantly associated with hypertension after controlling for possible confounders (odds ratio 1.4; p<0.01). The risk of hypertension rose significantly as the number of nocturia events per night increased ... A healthy lifestyle is also advised, including salt restriction, alcohol moderation, healthy eating, regular exercise, weight control, and smoking cessation"
• Correction: Hypertension guidelines - Cleve Clin J Med. 2019 Mar;86(3):210 - ""In 2017, the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommended a relaxed systolic blood pressure target, ie, below 150 mm Hg, for adults over age 60, but a tighter goal of less than 130 mm Hg for the same age group if they have transient ischemic attack, stroke, or high cardiovascular risk.9" In fact, the ACP and AAFP recommended a tighter goal of less than 140 mm Hg for this higher-risk group. This has been corrected online"
• Lower BP Linked to Cognitive Decline in Frail Elderly - Medscape, 3/13/19 - "For older patients undergoing treatment for hypertension, having a systolic blood pressure (SBP) lower than 130 mmHg is linked to additional cognitive decline ... Among those receiving antihypertensive therapy (1057; 83.5%) whose SBP was lower than 130 mmHg, the crude cognitive decline on the MMSE was 0.90 points, compared with 0.14 points in participants whose SBP was higher than 150 mmHg (0.76-point less decline; P for trend, .013) ... When the researchers restricted their analysis to participants with complex health problems (n = 674; 53%), the findings were similar. Compared with those with SBP lower than 130 mmHg, participants with SBP of 130 – 150 mmHg demonstrated less cognitive decline after 1 year by 0.99 points (95% confidence interval, 0.32 – 1.66 points; P = .004) on the MMSE and by 1.39 points (95% confidence interval, 0.68 - 2.11 points;P < .001) among those with SBP higher than 150 mmHg (P for trend, < .001)"
• Blood pressure level associated with lowest cardiovascular event in hypertensive diabetic patients - J Hypertens. 2018 Jul 13 - "A mean BP of less than 140/80 mmHg was associated with further reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and nonfatal cardiovascular events in diabetic hypertensive patients"
• What Is Optimum BP in Stroke Thrombectomy? - Medscape, 6/25/18 - "Researchers found the optimum systolic pressure to be 135 mm Hg; increasing values above this level were associated with increased risk for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and a lower chance of successful reperfusion"
• Blood-pressure-lowering interventions to prevent dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis - J Hypertens. 2018 Jun 20 - "To conclude, lowering BP by medication and/or lifestyle changes did not lead to a significantly reduced risk of dementia. This appeared independent of dementia subtype"
• Dementia risk increased in 50-year-olds with blood pressure below hypertension threshold - Science Daily, 6/13/18 - "Those who had a systolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or more at the age of 50 had a 45% greater risk of developing dementia than those with a lower systolic blood pressure at the same age. This association was not seen at the ages of 60 and 70, and diastolic blood pressure was not linked to dementia.* ... Our analysis suggests that the importance of mid-life hypertension on brain health is due to the duration of exposure. So we see an increased risk for people with raised blood pressure at age 50, but not 60 or 70, because those with hypertension at age 50 are likely to be 'exposed' to this risk for longer ... Possible reasons for the link between raised blood pressure and dementia include the fact that high blood pressure is linked to silent or mini strokes (where symptoms often are not noticeable), damage to the white matter in the brain, which contains many of the brain's nerve fibres, and restricted blood supply to the brain. This damage may underlie the resulting decline in the brain's processes"
• 7 Mistakes That Boost Your Blood Pressure Reading - WebMD, 5/11/18 - "Having a full bladder can add 10 to 15 points to a blood pressure reading. Always try to use the bathroom before getting a reading ... Poor support for your feet or back while seated can raise your blood pressure reading by 6 to 10 points. You should sit in a chair with your back supported and feet flat on the floor or a footstool ... Crossing your legs can add 2 to 8 points to your reading ... If your arm hangs by your side or you must hold it up while getting a reading, your blood pressure numbers may be 10 points higher than the actual figure. Your arm should be on a chair or counter so that the blood pressure cuff is level with your heart ... Having the cuff placed over clothing can add 5 to 50 points to your reading. The cuff should be on a bare arm ... A too-small cuff can add 2 to 10 points to a reading ... Talking can add 10 points to your reading. Remain still and silent while your blood pressure is taken"
• The influence of resting blood pressure on muscle strength in healthy adults - Blood Press Monit. 2018 May 5 - "Contrary to our hypothesis, adults with high BP displayed greater muscle strength than adults with normal BP. Reasons for our findings are unclear, but may be because of shifts in muscle fiber type from type I to type IIb/x and oxidative to glycolytic metabolism; alterations may result in a more strength-adapted phenotype among adults with high BP such as we observed"
• 3-in-1 Pill Shows Promise for High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 3/13/18 - "The pill contains low doses of the three medications -- telmisartan, amlodipine and chlorthalidone ... Among those who took the so-called "triple pill" for six months, 70 percent had achieved their blood pressure targets, compared with 55 percent of those who received their usual care. Usual care meant taking whatever blood pressure medicine their doctor prescribed"
• Do physicians measure patients' blood pressure, and are those measurements reliable? - J Hum Hypertens. 2018 Feb 8 - "Physicians who performed measurements determined the same SBP and DBP as the researchers in 34.3% of patients. Hypertension was determined in 18.9% of patients in clinics in which BP measurement was not performed by physicians. Not all physicians in our study measured BP, and the great majority of those who did failed to measure it reliably. We think that it is therefore vitally important for physicians across the world to receive regular, repeated, and effective training in the importance of BP measurement and how to perform it correctly"
• Blood pressure of 130 is the new ‘high,’ according to first update of guidelines in 14 years - Washington Post, 11/13/17 - "The American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and nine other groups redefined high blood pressure as a reading of 130 over 80, down from 140 over 90. The change, the first in 14 years, means that 46 percent of U.S. adults, many of them under the age of 45, now will be considered hypertensive. Under the previous guideline, 32 percent of U.S. adults had high blood pressure ... “The fact is lower is better,” Frieden said, “Even what we considered mild hypertension before is a deadly disease.”"
• Lower targets for systolic blood pressure suggested by study - Science Daily, 5/31/17 - "They found significant linear associations between systolic blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, with the lowest risk at a systolic blood pressure of 120 to 124 mm Hg"
• Which blood pressure measurement, systolic or diastolic, better predicts future hypertension in normotensive young adults? - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2017 Apr 26 - "The impact of DBP on the risk of developing hypertension compared with optimal BP (SBP <120 mm Hg and DBP <80 mm Hg) was significantly greater than that of SBP in subjects younger than 50 years (hazard ratios, 17.5 for isolated diastolic high-normal vs 10.5 for isolated systolic high-normal [P<.001]; 8.0 for isolated diastolic normal vs 4.1 for isolated systolic normal [P<.001]). Among the subjects 50 years and older, the corresponding effects of DBP and SBP were similar. Regarding the risk of new-onset hypertension, high DBP is more important than SBP in younger adults (<50 years) with normal or high-normal BP"
• Optimal Systolic Blood Pressure Levels for Primary Prevention of Stroke in General Hypertensive Adults: Findings From the CSPPT (China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial) - Hypertension. 2017 Feb 27 - "In conclusion, among adults with hypertension and without a history of stroke or myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, or renal function decline, a lower SBP goal of 120 to 130 mm Hg, as compared with a target SBP of 130 to 140 mm Hg or <120 mm Hg, resulted in the lowest risk of first stroke"
• Blood pressure and cardiovascular morbidity risk in type 2 diabetes with hypertension over a decade of follow-up: evidence for J-shaped phenomenon - J Hum Hypertens. 2017 Jan 26 - "Considering 130<SBP<140 mm Hg as reference, a SBP>140 mm Hg was associated with increased CVD (HR [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 2.43 [1.23-4.82]) and CHD (HR [95% CI]: 2.05 [1.02-4.13]) risk. However, a SBP<120 mm Hg in those with drug-treated hypertension also showed higher risk for CVD (HR [95% CI]: 2.80 [1.24-6.34]) and CHD events (HR [95% CI]: 2.39 [1.03-5.57]). Our findings revealed that the risk for macrovascular morbidity events was inversely associated with BP reduction below the level of 120/80 mm Hg for those with diabetes. People with diabetes might benefit from a BP management to a moderate range of 120/80-140/90 mm Hg for CVD risk reduction"
• High Blood Pressure May Not Be All Bad in Elderly - WebMD, 1/17/17 - "There is evidence that high blood pressure may also reduce frailty and disability ... those who developed high blood pressure after age 80 were 42 percent less likely to develop dementia in their 90s compared to those with normal blood pressure. And, those whose high blood pressure started after age 90 were 63 percent less likely to develop dementia versus those without hypertension"
• On-Treatment Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older Adults With Isolated Systolic Hypertension - Hypertension. 2017 Jan 3 - "On-treatment diastolic BP yielded no relationships with CVD or all-cause mortality risk. In conclusion, among Japanese older adults with isolated systolic hypertension, SBP in the range between 130 and 144 mm Hg was associated with minimal adverse outcomes and a reduction in CVD and all-cause mortality"
• Acute Sildenafil Use Reduces 24-Hour Blood Pressure Levels in Patients With Resistant Hypertension: A Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2016 Nov;18(11):1168-1172 - "resistant hypertensive (RH) ... A dose of sildenafil (187.5mg) was given, and after a washout period of 14 days the patients received a single oral dose of placebo and the protocol was repeated ... The reduction of systolic (-8.8±1.4 vs 1.3±1.2 mm Hg, P=.02), diastolic (-5.3±3.3 vs 1.8±1.1 mm Hg, P=.03), and mean (-7.9±3.6 vs 0.8±0.9 mm Hg, P=.01) 24-hour BP were found after the use of sildenafil compared with placebo. Improvement in daytime BP levels was also observed (systolic -6.0±4.7 vs 4.4±1.5 mm Hg [P=.02] and mean -4.8±3.9 vs 3.5±1.4 mm Hg [P=.02] for sildenafil vs placebo, respectively). Considering its antihypertensive effect, sildenafil may represent a therapeutic option for RH treatment"
• The impact of hypertension on leukocyte telomere length: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human studies - J Hum Hypertens. 2016 Jun 30 - "Meta-analyses from 3097 participants (1415 patients with hypertension and 1682 control subjects) showed a significant standardized mean difference between LTL in hypertensive patients and controls"
• Anabolic steroid abuse is associated with increased systolic hypertension risk - Science Daily, 4/4/16 - "They measured the men's 24-hour ABPM every 20 minutes during the day and every 60 minutes through the night. Compared with the former abusers and the controls, the ongoing abusers' average day and night BPs were significantly ‒ roughly 8 to 10 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) ‒ higher"
• Lowering blood pressure below current targets benefits a wide range of patients - Science Daily, 11/7/15 - "average systolic blood pressure was 6.8 mmHg lower and diastolic blood pressure 4.5 mmHg lower (on average 133.2/76.4 mmHg vs 140.4/80.9 mmHg) in patients who received more intensive treatment compared to those given a standard regimen ... Overall, the findings showed that intensive treatment reduced heart attacks by about 14% and stroke by around a quarter compared with less intensive regimens. Progressive retinopathy (damage to the retina of the eye) was also reduced by about a fifth"
• Blood Pressure: How Low to Go? - WebMD, 9/11/15 - "getting high blood pressure back down to normal levels -- at least 120/80 -- dramatically cuts the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths compared to currently recommended BP targets ... Most patients over age 60, for example, were advised to shoot for a goal of 150/90 ... On average, the participants needed three different medications to get to a goal of 120, compared to two medications in the group that aimed for a goal of 140 ... Patients in the lower blood pressure group had roughly a third fewer heart attacks, strokes, and diagnoses of heart failure compared to patients that had the slightly higher blood pressure target goal. The lower group also had about 25% fewer deaths"
• Coffee consumption and risk of hypertension in the Polish arm of the HAPIEE cohort study - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015 Jul 29 - "Relation between coffee consumption and incidence of hypertension was related to smoking status. Consumption of 3-4 cups of coffee per day decreased the risk of hypertension in non-smoking men and women only"
• High blood pressure linked to reduced Alzheimer's risk, meds may be reason: Study authors say its likely protective effect comes from antihypertensive drugs - Science Daily, 6/26/15 - "It may be that high blood pressure is protective, or it may be that something that people with high blood pressure are exposed to more often, such as antihypertensive medication, is protecting them from Alzheimer's disease ... This is to date the most authoritative paper looking at causal relationships between Alzheimer's disease and these potentially modifiable factors"
• 'Mild' control of systolic blood pressure in older adults is adequate: 150 is good enough - Science Daily, 11/3/14 - "Keeping systolic blood pressure in older adults below 150 is important, it's what we consider a mild level of control ... But for older people that level is also good enough. After an extensive review, there was no significant evidence that more intensive management is necessary"
• BP Control: Not Too Low, Not Too High Is Best for Outcomes - Medscape, 8/6/14 - "end-stage renal disease (ESRD) ... We observed a U-shaped curve for the composite outcome of mortality/ESRD at systolic BP above 139 and below 130 mm Hg [and] diastolic BP below 60 and above 79 mm Hg ... A BP of 137/71 mm Hg was associated with the lowest risk of death or ESRD"
• New Hypertension After 80 Linked to Lower Dementia Risk - Medscape, 7/14/14 - "Risk for Dementia by Measured Blood Pressure at 90+ Study Baseline
  
  Blood Pressure Category (mmHg) Relative Risk
  <120 systolic or < 80 diastolic Reference
  129-139 systolic or 80-89 diastolic 0.76
  140-169 systolic or 90-99 diastolic 0.72
  160+ systolic or 100+ diastolic 0.58
  
  This analysis was adjusted for use of antihypertensive treatment, she noted, "so the association was not due to the medications that they may have been taking."
• Relaxed blood pressure guidelines cut millions from needing medication - Science Daily, 3/29/14 - "the committee relaxed the blood pressure goal in adults 60 years and older to 150/90, instead of the previous goal of 140/90 ... The new guidelines do not address whether these adults should still be considered as having hypertension ... But they would no longer need medication to lower their blood pressure"
• Higher blood pressure treshold OK in older adults - NBC  News, 12/18/13 - "For adults aged 60 and older, they are recommending a higher treatment threshold, prescribing medicine only when blood pressure levels reach 150 over 90 or higher" - [Abstract]
• REGARDS: Pushing for Lower BPs in the Elderly - Medscape, 9/4/13 - "For all-cause mortality, death rates were significantly increased among those aged 55 to 74 years with systolic blood pressures greater than 140 mm Hg. Regarding the very elderly, those older than 75 years of age, all-cause mortality was not significantly affected by blood-pressure levels"
• Antihypertensive drugs decrease risk of Alzheimer disease: Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study - Neurology. 2013 Aug 2 - "Secondary longitudinal data analysis of the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study in older adults at least 75 years of age with normal cognition (n = 1,928) or MCI (n = 320) over a median 6.1-year period ... Hazard ratio for incident AD dementia among participants with normal cognition was 0.51 in diuretic (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31-0.82), 0.31 in ARB (95% CI 0.14-0.68), 0.50 in ACE-I (95% CI 0.29-0.83), 0.62 in CCB (95% CI 0.35-1.09), and 0.58 in BB (95% CI 0.36-0.93) users and was not significantly altered when mean systolic blood pressure was above 140 mm Hg" - Note:  Sounds like the ARB's left the others in the dust.  See my telmisartan as a first line treatment page.
• Optimal Blood Pressure for Cognitive Function - Medscape, 7/31/13 - "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"
• Acid Reflux Drug May Cause Heart Disease, Study Suggests  - Science Daily, 7/10/13 - "In human tissue and mouse models, the researchers found PPIs caused the constriction of blood vessels. If taken regularly, PPIs could lead to a variety of cardiovascular problems over time, including hypertension and a weakened heart ... PPIs suppressed the enzyme DDAH, dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase. That caused an increase in the blood levels of ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine), an important chemical messenger. They found ADMA in turn suppressed the production of another chemical messenger, nitric oxide, or NO, proven by 1998 Nobel Prize winners Furchgott, Ignarro, and Murad to impact cardiovascular function ... PPIs interfere with the ability of blood vessels to relax ... PPIs have this adverse effect by reducing the ability of human blood vessels to generate nitric oxide. Nitric oxide generated by the lining of the vessel is known to relax, and to protect, arteries and veins"
• 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 OffshoreRx1.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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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)"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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)"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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 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"
• 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"
• '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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"
• 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"