Currently viewing the category: "high blood pressure"

Americans to Blame for Poor Heart Health

By On · Add Comment · In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exercise, heart risk, high blood pressure, lifestyle behaviors, smoking, sugar

Flash, this just in: Only 10% of American adults have low heart disease risk. You heard right, nine out of every 10 people in the U.S. have at least one risk to their heart health; and the worst part is that these risks are all lifestyle dependent. Not good for a nation bent on pointing the finger at external causes for its poor health rankings.

According to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that looked at four national studies covering tens of thousands of Americans aged 25 to 74, only ten percent had low risk in the following categories:

  • high blood pressure
  • high cholesterol
  • high blood sugar
  • overweight
  • smoking
  • exercise too little

Each one of these categories is significantly impacted by lifestyle behaviors. High blood pressure, cholesterol and weight can all be controlled with regular and moderate exercise. Regular. Three times per week, minimum. Are you doing that?

High blood sugar and weight is directly related to the amount and types of food we eat. The U.S. has a morbid addiction to sugar. I’m not talking just desserts here–oh, we’ve got that too, but what I’m talking about is sugary regular foods: cereals, canned foods, ketchup, BBQ sauce, French toast, scones and muffins for breakfast, and the worst of all–sodas! Hey I’m guilty too, because I have recommended sports replacement bars to my readers. No more! That stuff is sugary shit. I don’t eat them, and I’m not going to recommend them to anyone else, anymore. Pure crap.

And the portions we eat are obscene. We all put away way too much every time we eat out. Sorry, but them’s the facts. Too much food.

And smoking? Like my good friend J.C. says, “Smoke ’em if you got ’em.” But just don’t point the finger at anyone but yourself when it’s time to pay the piper.

This is what really gets me irked about people: A full 90% of citizens are not doing all they can to care for their health, yet somehow it’s somebody else responsibility to take care of them if they fall ill. Sorry, but nobody can do your push-ups for you, no matter how much you demand it.

Chiropractic for High Blood Pressure

By On · Add Comment · In adjustment, chiropractic, Good Morning America, high blood pressure, hypertension, National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA)

On March 25, 2009 Good Morning America aired this piece on chiropractic and blood pressure. A pilot study conducted in 2007 showed that chiropractic adjustments reduced blood pressure significantly offering hope to the millions of people plagued by high blood pressure in the U.S.

The study conducted out of the Rush University Hypertension Center in Chicago showed that hypertensive study subjects provided with specific chiropractic adjustments (and sans meds) lowered their blood pressure by an average of 17 mmHg systolic and 10 mmHg diastolic. The study was a double blind, placebo-controlled design, and the study cohort was 70% male with a mean age of 53. The subjects receiving placebo (sham adjustment) showed little change in blood pressure.

Well this is exciting news for people with hypertension. It shows that there are alternatives to medications for treating hypertension (high blood pressure). Hypertension affects one third of all Americans, so this is huge for the country as a whole. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack or stroke, and all medications have side-effects. Interestingly, the study showed no side-effects for the chiropractic adjustments.

Of course, organized medicine is embracing this study cautiously. That’s okay…truth is truth is truth is truth is truth. The chiropractic technique used in the study was Upper Cervical Specific or NUCCA. Check out the GMA video below to get the full story.

Tai Chi’s Miraculous Health Benefits

By On · Add Comment · In blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, helper T-cells, high blood pressure, immune function, interleukin, lose weight, metabolic syndrome, Tai Chi Chuanmartial arts, type 2 diabetes

Anyone familiar with the martial art Tai Chi Chuan knows the many physical benefits it provides. But now the rest of us have proof. New studies coming out of Australia and Taiwan show that the ancient martial art lowers weight, helps curb type 2 diabetes, and increases immune function. Wow! It does all that? Yup. Check it out.

In the Aussie study, conducted at the University of Queensland, researchers led middle-aged and older participants through 12 weeks of Tai Chi. The program consisted of three 1.5 hour sessions per week, and participants were also encouraged to practice on their own at home. At the end of the study period, participants were found to have lost an average 6.5 pounds, and their blood glucose levels improved (all had metabolic syndrome–a triumvirate of medical conditions including diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure). Participants also showed significant decreases in blood pressure, more than what could be accounted for by simple weight loss.

In the Taiwanese study, participants were also taken through 12 weeks of Tai Chi. Researchers found an increase in both helper T-cells (important immune system cells) and interleukin levels (immune system mediators) in the participants. And as an added benefit, researchers found a decrease in levels of glycated hemoglobin–excess sugar carried by red blood cells–in participants that had diabetes.

These findings are huge. By doing moderately paced exercise–as Tai Chi Chuan is–one can significantly decrease their chances of developing type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome; or even improve one’s chances of managing the disorders if already affected. Excellent. I studied Tai Chi myself very briefly about 15 years ago (the school I attended in San Francisco and, in my opinion, the very best). I found it a stupendous form of exercise. However, I do wish to point out, just as the authors of the Australian study have, that any form moderate exercise will accomplish the same results. It’s just that the benefit of Tai Chi Chuan come from its slow, flowing pace and wide sweeping, rhythmic motions. These types of movements, I think, connect us to a Universal rhythm, which have deeper, spiritual effects on us. Other than that, though, doing Tai Chi should also help you kick a little ass–and that never hurts now does it?

Flawed Paradigm or Religious Propoganda?

By On · Add Comment · In bodywork, diet, errors, exercise, health, health paradigm, healthy lifestyle habits, high blood pressure, mandatory, medical mistakes, proactive, religion, revolution, sleep, truth

I get most of my health news off the news wires like Reuters or Associated Press. For anyone not familiar with these news outlets, they provide stories for use by newspapers, radio and television programs and other media outlets. It comes over as a “just-the-facts” piece that other writers can use to create a story, which essentially leaves the writer to choose how the story is told without losing its essential meaning and information.

So, as you can probably tell, I have a blast getting these facts-only stories and sending them back out with what I consider a more realistic twist. I know that nobody reading this believes for a second that the information we get over traditional outlets is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It’s not about being a born skeptic as much as it’s about having way too many experiences of being told one thing but seeing another that makes us question what we are told.

Take for example the latest news being reported in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, which says that people who take a proactive approach to their health may, in fact, be better informed, but by no means are they necessarily more healthy. Now, when I see opening words of this sort, along with the headline, “Involved” patients not always healthier, I get an immediate chuckle. I chuckle because I know that either, one: they are providing faulty information; or two: they are defining terms a little differently than I would. I know this because I read the health news every day. I know that studies pour out every week showing that a proactive approach of incorporating healthy lifestyle habits is, without a doubt, the number one beneficial thing people can do to ensure better health and a longer life. But, then, stories like this one come out and, well…they make me chuckle.

So, according to this study, 189 people with high blood pressure were observed: Those people who wanted a greater say in their health care tended to have higher blood pressure and cholesterol than the people who let their doctors have most of the control. Oy vey. And the conclusion of the research team was that, “merely being involved in health care decisions does not necessarily make patients healthier.”

Well no ship, Sherlock.

Here are the flaws with these conclusions: First, being proactive goes way beyond “being informed.” Could you imagine if we extrapolated that idea–that is, considering simply being informed the same as being proactive–to voting (I’m informed but I don’t vote), to our work life (I went to college but I prefer not to work), or to our finances (I know I should save, pay my taxes, and my bills…but I don’t). We can all appreciate that proactivity is taking action–in the realm of health it’s exercise, adopting a healthy diet, regular bodywork, getting enough sleep, and so on, and so forth.

The second flaw of this study is that they used high blood pressure–hardly a measure of health, and more accurately a measure of potential disease–as the health parameter. People who have high blood pressure are already on the verge of illness. Please. Aren’t they already doing something wrong or neglecting to do some things right? And these are the folks we should use as our reference point that “simply being informed doesn’t lead people to be healthier”? How amusing. I really could go on for hours about the absurdity of this notion.

Studies like this are an unfortunate relic of the old health paradigm that I am so proactively trying to get you to abandon. That paradigm says, health is a chance occurrence and is fleeting. In other words, illness is inevitable (I’ve got no argument there) and only through medical intervention can you hope to stand a chance of survival (this, however, is false). Obviously, that message is not presented so blatantly, but you’ll find it if you simply read between the lines.

And this is exactly how powerful institutions attempt to control you. Just ask any major religion outside of the Church of Medical Science and they’ll tell you: It all starts with brainwashing. You need us. We’ve saved hundreds of millions of lives, and we save millions more every year; we’re here to save you. This has been propagandized for years; nothing new there. But the next step is to tell you that you can’t make it without said religion. Don’t meddle when it comes to your health; we know what we’re doing; we know your health and your body better than you do, and we’re here to save you. That’s where we are now. The third step is mandating conformity. Mandatory treatments, mandatory inoculations, mandatory obedience. We’re just starting to get a glimpse of this practice now. Hang on, we should be seeing much more of this in the future.

Then the break occurs; the unfoldment of upheaval. It has happened in every major revolt in history, including the American Revolution. And now, we are in the midst of a health paradigm revolution. Damn, I feel like Thomas Paine!

Here’s the bottom line: people who take a proactive approach to their health and well-being stand an exceptionally high chance of having better health, period. Proactivity means, “acting in advance to deal with an expected difficulty.” Acting. Not just being informed. Big difference.

Although this study comes to one very true conclusion, that “studies have found that patients generally tend to do better when they agree with their doctors on how to manage their health problems.” This, however, is not the same thing as people taking a proactive approach to their health. For sure, it helps when doctor and patient are on the same page; however, I highly doubt that anyone sets out to deliberately challenge one’s doctor when one’s health is on the line. But in an era of medical mistakes, profiteering, and just plain incompetency, where 98,000 people a year die as a result of medical errors (not accidents, not natural acts, but mistakes)…then yeah, people will question. And that, in my opinion, is highly proactive.

Expressed Marital Discord is Bliss

By On · Add Comment · In anger, cortisol, couples, feelings, fight, health, heart disease, high blood pressure, mortality rates, premature death, resentment, spouse, stress, suppressed anger

Sleeping on the couch tonight? Not speaking to Mr. Right? Don’t worry: that fight you and your spouse got into last night is actually good for your health. That is, if you don’t hold it in, but instead let your feelings be known. So says a new study tracked 192 couples over a 17 year period.

Researchers at the University of Michigan looked at how suppressed anger and feelings of resentment in a marriage affect overall mortality rates. They found that couples that suppress their anger–that is, neither spouse stood up for themselves during a spat–had twice the mortality rate than couples with at least one partner who let loose. Previous studies have shown that suppressing anger increases stress-related illnesses like heart disease and high blood pressure. Ernest Harburg, lead author of the current study said, “The key matter is, when the conflict happens, how do you resolve it? If you bury your anger, and you brood on it and you resent the other person or the attacker, and you don’t try to resolve the problem, then you’re in trouble.”

Amen Brother! That’s why my wife and I deliberately beat the crap out of each other (verbally, Romans, verbally) every month. Good for the health I tell ya. I’ve always said: Hold on to that anger and you’re just asking for a heart attack, or cancer, or something like that. Pent-up anger and resentment forces one to brood, causing chemical cascades like the over-production of cortisol and other chemicals, which can stress the organs and blood vessels. Over time this can lead to heart or vascular disease, and ultimately, premature death.

There’s this notion in our current society that anger is “bad”. But in truth anger is experienced by every person on the planet at some time or another. When one tries to put forth the illusion that one never gets mad–you know, the classic anger suppressor–then that person is inviting disaster. This doesn’t mean that you have to lose your cool at the drop of a hat–diplomacy and civility still have their place in our world–however, if you gotta get it out, then express yourself; you’ll certainly feel better, and you might just live longer as a result.

More Reasons to Give Up Liquid Sugar

By On · Add Comment · In diabetes, diet soda, energy drinks, heart disease, high blood pressure, juice cocktails, metabolic syndrome, obesity, soda, uric acid, vascular disease, water
If it ain’t enough that sugary drinks (read: soda, diet soda, juice cocktails, and energy drinks) contribute to obesity, a new study shows that they may also increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart and vascular disease, as well as metabolic syndrome – all of which may lead to diabetes and heart disease.
A new study shows that sugary drinks can lead to higher uric acid levels, which, in turn, can lead to disease. It is no surprise that soda is the number one drink Americans choose, even ahead of water, but here go some more interesting statistics. People who drink more than one soda a day have:

  • 31% greater risk of becoming obese.
  • 30 percent increased risk of adding belly fat.
  • 25 percent higher risk of developing high blood triglycerides or high blood sugar.
  • 32 percent higher risk of having low HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
And now, as we are learning, higher uric acid levels. Uric acid is the body’s natural breakdown product of protein. When blood levels of uric acid are high, it can lead to disorders such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones, gout and more.
These conditions don’t happen over night, so if you are a soda drinker, you can halt their progression by cutting down or quitting soft drinks altogether. The reality is that soft drinks provide nothing by way of nutrition – and they certainly don’t get you drunk – so my question is: Why?
“Well they taste good.”
They taste good?
“Yeah. They taste good.”
Sheesh. At the risk of standing on a pulpit, here. Aren’t good tasting things supposed to be occasional treats. We’re drinking this stuff more than water. Did you know that without water there would be no life at all? Anywhere?
How can we drink more soda than water? I’m sorry but it’s beyond me. Please enjoy a soda now and again, but, well, we all know at least one person who drinks three, four, even six cans of soda per day. Is anybody still perplexed as to why obesity is epidemic in this country? Still scratching your heads over America’s world health rankings? I promise you’ll be hearing more about soda’s ill effects on health in the years to come. But fear not Coca-Cola shareholders – soft drink companies will not be going out of business anytime soon. Heavens no. They’ve already firmly established themselves in the next big market – bottled tap water. Stay tuned for more.
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Nick Campos - All Rights Reserved.