|
HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Can Alternative Therapies Prevent Hypertension? Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure or sometimes called arterial hypertension, is a medical condition in which blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. Blood pressure is measured by 2 readings: systolic (upper) and diastolic (bottom). Normal blood pressure ranges between 100-140 mmHg systolic and 60-90 mmHg diastolic. A person is said to have hypertension when his or her blood pressure reading is at or above 140/90 mmHg. Most people can have hypertension for years without even realizing it because of its symptomless. Untreated hypertension can, however, damage arteries and vital organs throughout the body. It could lead to many chronic consequences including heart attack, heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, vision loss, angina, peripheral artery disease and even death. That is why it is sometimes called the “silent killer”. Risk factors for hypertension include age, family history, lack of physical activity, poor diet especially one that contains too much salt, overweight and obesity, smoking, stress, drinking too much alcohol, and sleep apnea. Among 5-10 percent of hypertensive cases, high blood pressure is caused by per-existing medical conditions like kidney abnormality, a structural abnormality of the aorta (the large blood vessel leaving the heart) that has existed since birth, and narrowing of certain arteries. This type of hypertension is known as secondary hypertension. 76.4 million American adults have been diagnosed with hypertension. It affects more than 26 percent of the population worldwide and contributes to more than 13 percent of premature deaths.
But the good news is that hypertension is treatable. In additional to lifestyle changes and prescribed medications, hypertension can also be controlled using alternative therapies like aerobic exercise, resistance or strength training, and isometric handgrip exercises might also help lower one’s blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). In a scientific statement published online April 22, 2013 in AHA’s journal ‘Hypertension’, AHA indicated that alternative approaches could help people with blood pressure levels higher than 120/80 mmHg and those who are not tolerate or do not respond well to standard medications. An expert panel appointed by AHA assessed 3 alternative remedy categories: exercise regimens; behavioral therapies such as meditation; and non-invasive procedures or devices including acupuncture and device-guided slow breathing. The panel reviewed data published between 2006 and 2011, including 1000 studies on behavioral therapies, non-invasive procedures and devices, and 3 types of exercise (aerobic, resistance or weight training and isometric exercises, most commonly handgrip devices). These studies also examined the effects of yoga, different styles of meditation, biofeedback methods, acupuncture, device-guided breathing, relaxation and stress reduction techniques. It was found that all 3 types of exercise reduced blood pressure. Behavioral therapies such as biofeedback and transcendental meditation may help lower blood pressure by a small amount. However, insufficient data was gathered to support using other types of meditation. There is also a lack of clinical evidence to support using yoga and other relaxation techniques to reduce blood pressure. While there is no enough evidence to recommend acupuncture for lowering blood pressure, device-guided slow breathing did prove effective in lowering blood pressure when performed for 15-minute sessions 3 to 4 times a week. Alternative therapies seldom caused serious side effects and do not pose much health risks making them viable to become part of a comprehensive blood pressure-lowering treatment plan. Most alternative approaches reduce systolic blood pressure by only 2-10 mm Hg. In contrast, standard doses of a blood pressure-lowering drug reduce systolic blood pressure by about 10-15 mmHg. Obviously, alternative approaches should only be added to a treatment regimen after patients discuss their goals with their doctors. Moreover, alternative therapies should not be used to replace proven methods that include physical activity, managing weight, not smoking or drinking excess alcohol, eating a low sodium balanced diet and taking prescribed medications.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright
2007-2012 © HowToPreventHeartDisease.com . All Rights Reserved.d........ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
