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I recently found a "buyers co-op" for (r)HGH www.somatropinonline.com. They are a non-profit organization who formed a "buyers co-op" to obtain growth hormone at a significantly reduced price.

Recent Longevity News (6/19/01):

Drug Study May Change What Doctors Think About High Blood Pressure, Avoiding Stroke - WebMD, 6/18/01 - "Lowering high blood pressure is one of the best ways to prevent stroke and heart disease. Now it turns out that the combination of two blood pressure medications -- perindopril (Aceon) [an ACE inhibitor] and indapamide [a diuretic] -- can prevent stroke even if blood pressure is normal"

Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Linked to Alzheimer's - ABC News, 6/15/01 - "Middle-aged people with elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's later in life, but treating those conditions early may help stave off the disease"

• Note:  I saw a graph that plotted your chances of getting heart disease versus your blood pressure.  I wish I could find the link that showed the graph but basically, there was a benefit until you blood pressure went down to 110/70, then there was no further advantage.  See my blood pressure page for ways to reduce blood pressure using conventional and alternative treatments.  I'm not a doctor but for drugs, I feel that ARB's should be the first line treatment.  Anything else will negatively effect your sex life.   Lycopene and HMB each have been shown to lower blood pressure 9 points and 4 point respectfully.  See Hypertension and Memory for another reason to get your blood pressure down.  You might also want to read about what hypertension does to your kidney.
  • Chronic Kidney Disease Common in US, Associated With Suboptimal BP Control - Medscape, 5/24/01, user=benhess, pwd=asdfgh
  • 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, which contains the Lyco-O-Mato.
  • HMB Pumps You Up While Lowering Cholesterol and Blood Pressure - WebMD, 8/18/00 - "almost 6% decrease in total cholesterol, and their LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, was reduced by over 7%. In addition, average blood pressures in those taking the supplement decreased by over four points ... These figures are just about what you would see by taking medications for hypertension or lowering cholesterol."
  • How Coenzyme Q-10 Can Stop Aging, by Jean Carper - "taking coQ-10 pushed systolic (upper number) pressure down from 159 to 147, and diastolic pressure from 94 to 85, usually within three or four months"
  • Higher Calcium Intake Blunts Age-Related Rise in Systolic Blood Pressure - Medscape, 3/9/01, user=benhess, pwd=asdfgh - "A diet low in sodium, protein and alcohol is associated with lower systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure ... a higher intake of calcium [is] associated with a lower rate of rise in systolic blood pressure with age"
  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Have Beneficial Effects on Blood Pressure, Platelets - Medscape, 6/7/00, user=benhess, pwd=asdfgh - "Omega-3 fatty acids "may have a dose-dependent response in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive individuals," ... This effect appears to be related to the ability of omega-3 fatty acids to increase vasodilatory prostaglandins and reduce vasoconstrictor prostaglandins. Other possible mechanisms include an increase in endothelial nitric oxide release and a reduction in blood viscosity"
  • 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"
  • Calcium's powerful, mysterious ways - U.S. News & World Report, 5/3/99 - "McCarron saw a patient in a Boston emergency room with severe hypertension; tests revealed abnormally low calcium intake. Since then, he has surveyed tens of thousands of people, consistently finding that those who suffer from hypertension consume just one third of the recommended daily calcium intake. Calcium signals cells to relax, opening up arteries and improving blood flow to the heart, just like the commonly prescribed calcium channel blockers"
  • Lifestyle and supplemental support can keep a heart healthy and strong, even for those at risk - Health & Nutrition Breakthroughs,  5/99 - "Hawthorn is thought to lower blood pressure and strengthen heart-muscle function by acting as both a natural calcium channel blocker and an ACE inhibitor."
  • Potassium Linked To Lowered Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 1/16/98 - "Potassium, either in the form of fruits and vegetables, or in supplements, can lower high blood pressure ... The effect of potassium was small because the nurses' blood pressures were normal, Sacks said. "But previous studies have shown that potassium in people with high blood pressure has a greater effect of lowering blood pressure 4 to 5 mm Hg"
  • Managing Hypertension Without Drugs - Nutrition Science News, 11/97 - "supplemental magnesium helps relax the smooth muscle of blood vessels. Most likely, it modulates vessel contractibility that's caused by such naturally occurring chemicals as bradykinin, angiotensin II, serotonin, prostaglandins and catecholamines ... An Italian study of 26 patients treated for 10 weeks with 100 mg daily of Co-Q10 revealed a significant reduction in blood pressure and improved cholesterol profiles. Average systolic blood pressures decreased from 164 to 146, and diastolic blood pressures decreased from 98 to 86. Average total cholesterol decreased from 223 mg/dl to 213 mg/dl and HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) increased from 41 mg/dl to 43 mg/dl"
  • 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"

Diabetes strikes millions, but it can be tamed - US News & World Report, 6/25/01 - "Diabetes cases have exploded for one key reason: the 60 percent increase in obesity over the past decade"

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"

Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Linked to Alzheimer's - ABC News, 6/15/01 - "It's common knowledge that high cholesterol can lead to heart disease, and uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke. But researchers are now linking these conditions to Alzheimer's disease as well."

High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Linked to Alzheimer's - WebMD, 6/14/01 - "The message is to treat hypertension and hypercholesterolemia early."

Replacing Estrogen Via Skin Patch Decreases Nerve Activity, Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women - Doctor's Guide, 6/19/01 - "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"

Estradiol Patch Effective for Perimenopausal Depression - Medscape, 6/19/01, user=benhess, pwd=asdfgh - "Transdermal estradiol replacement is an effective treatment for perimenopausal women who experience depressive disorders, including major depressive disorder"

Will Licking Your Salt Habit Beat High Blood Pressure? - WebMD, 6/18/01 - "lower levels of dietary salt -- 1,500 mg a day -- cut blood pressure in individuals with and without hypertension"

• Salt May Damage Heart Independent of Effects on Blood Pressure - Medscape, 4/12/01, user=benhess, pwd=asdfgh

Anti-aging Recommendations

Nature's Way Dim-plus at iHerb - use this link for a 5% discount (discount code "qc") plus free shipping on ordered over $40.

Red yeast rice (non-prescription statin) at VitaminShoppe

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