High Blood pressure

[barber1982]

My mum has just been diagnosed with HPB. It there anything that anyone takes to reduce it?

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Lloydspharmacy blood pressure monitor offer £9.99 (http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/home-page/whats-new/lloydspharmacy_fully_automatic_blood_pressure_moni tor.htm) is still ongoing. It would be worth having one of these as it enables you to check if the measures she is taking are working or not.

bpassoc (http://www.bpassoc.org.uk/) has lots of excellent advice and if you follow the links there's a downloadable excell spreadsheet that allows you to record your BP readings and turn them into graphs to make it easy to see if they are moving in the right direction over time.

Vitamin D and blood pressure research (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/researchHypertension.shtml) That site also has links to the cheapest source of high strength Vitamin D. This time of year 90% of the UK population have insufficient Vit d. (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/3/860)raising Vit d with an effective dose level (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/77/1/204) lowers blood pressure.

Edit following Mr Rush's comment Plasma 25(OH)D levels are inversely associated with risk of incident hypertension. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17372031) and perhaps Mr_Rush will explain why blood pressure (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlu%20s&list_uids=12169847) is often elevated during the winter season, further distance from the equator, (http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/30/2/150) and dark skin pigmentation (all of which are associated with lower exposure to vitamin D via sunlight).
Perhaps Mr_Rush is unaware of the study, when patients are treated with ultraviolet light three times a week for six weeks, they increased vitamin d status by 162% and simultaneously their blood pressure fell significantly. Small amounts of oral vitamin D (cholecalciferol 800 IU) for eight weeks have also resulted in a reduction in both blood pressure and heart rate. There is epidemiological evidence to suggest a relationship between calcium deficiency and hypertension (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11297596). The observation that a physiologic amount of active vitamin D has blood pressure lowering (hypotensive) effects is consistent with this concept and suggests a role for vitamin D in lowering blood pressure.

Flaxseed/linseed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17268413) also helps. See thread Flaxseed Wow (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=342262)

See also dietary advice here Hypertension (high blood pressure) (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=disease&dbid=15)

Magnesium is vital for over 300 different reactions in the body and often by overuse of colas or inadequate intake of fruit and veg in short supply. There is evidence that improving magnesium (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/08/980824071607.htm)supply will lower blood pressure.

Similarly there is evidence that Dairy Produce improves folate uptake and this also will reduce blood pressure (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17300277).

Should also mention that common painkillers, ibuprofen, asprin etc raise blood pressure so if she's in the habit of taking these regularly then cutting down on them will help reduce the HBP.

Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11500191)

Tea Drinkers Reap Blood Pressure Benefits (http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20040726/tea-drinkers-reap-blood-pressure-benefits) remember that Green Tea (without milk) is often drunk in china.

Dark Chocolate (http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/46/2/398) and Red Wine are also blood pressure lowering.
These suggestions are as well as and not alternative to the exercise and diet suggestions from BPASSOC from the second link provided above.

[ariba10]

My mum has just been diagnosed with HPB. It there anything that anyone takes to reduce it?

Regular exercise and a good diet is about the quickest and easiest way to go.

[Robothell]

Regular exercise and a good diet is about the quickest and easiest way to go.

In addition, stop smoking and reduce alcohol intake (ideally none at all). Also, be wary of using over-the-counter remedies and complimentary therapies if the GP has prescribed any tablets - the tablets will lower the blood pressure in the vast majority of people and if other things are taken on top of this the blood pressure can dip to the lower end and cause dizziness and faints. Always tell your GP/doctor if you are taking supplements etc over the counter as it can influence their choice of therapies.

[K9cuddles]

My mum has just been diagnosed with HPB. It there anything that anyone takes to reduce it?

Hi, I've been diagnosed with the same and I'm only 25 :eek: Is she on any medication? I had a blood test which normally checks yours cholestrol levels given more idea what is causing it. For my age my BP is high but my cholestrol is low so I've been refered to get my kidneys checked (will waiting 4 weeks on :rolleyes: ).

Anyways.. I started taking omega 3 (6&9 - from boots) I've got my medication plus I exercise 3 times a week, I don't drink or smoke but like my chocolate biscuits!

I think her doctors needs to find the root of what's causing it then you know what to do to improve it. I bought the £9.99 Lloyds BP meter and it's a super bit of kit for the money!

[mr_rush]

please ignore the vitamin D nonsense - there is a reason why the British Hypertension Society do not have anything to do with vitamin D in their anti-hypertension guidelines - because of the lack of evidence.

High BP is very common. Usually the management protocol is measurement on 3 occasions then if still high the modification of lifestyle factors (smoking, salt intake, exercise), then a variety of meds.

[colchambers]

Hi, sorry to hear you have high blood pressure. There is plenty you can do to get it down though. High blood pressure is generally related to your heart having trouble pushing blood around your body. Often the blood vessels aren't as loose and flexible as they used to be so the heart has to pump harder. So the best way to counteract this is to look at things that can make your blood vessels loose again.

High amounts of salt can increase blood pressure this way. So reducing salt in your diet can help. Salt is so important for making food taste nice that the way I go about this is either to
have gravy with my meals to enhance the flavour, use sea salt as it is stronger than table salt with less sodium (the bad stuff) per gram. I also found a product called herbamare which contains sea salt instead of standard salt and uses herbs to add flavour. Oh you've got me talking now. I just remembered another thing I do a lot more now is to either rub or sprinkle vegetable stock powder onto food either before, during or after cooking. For example rubbing some stock powder into a fillet of salmon before cooking on the oven for 8 minutes is all it takes to make it taste fabulous. I find adding stock powder cheaper than herbamare so that is my preferred option.

Also with exercise I know a lot of people who are put off even by the word because we are all used to thinking of it as going to the gym, getting sweaty and running for no real reason but to burn calories. The truth is that exercise is anything that gets you moving your body for a significant amount of time. The most important thing is that you enjoy it because if you do then you will want to do it. That is crucial when you are tired, have had a crappy day and just can't be bothered. My favourite is tennis, but that's too energetic for a lot of people. Then again I love walking, playing football, cycling or gardening. My wife doesn't class herself as an exercise kind of person but loves dancing and swimming. Just think about what things you like to do that involve movement and find nice places to do it and if necessary good people to exercise with. Focus on moving your whole body around (walking, climbing, swimming as opposed to sit ups, pressups and other things when only a few muscles are working) as the act of shifting your own weight when done regularly has a massive effect on blood pressure. But always remember it's what you do every day not once in a while that matters most. That's why you should focus on things you enjoy because then you will stick to them.

One final thing is to try and look for areas in your life where you can be a little more active than you are. Some people have parked their car 5 minutes from their office instead of right outside. It gives them a short walk before and after work which surprisingly for them has helped them forget their worries better than most things and also provides a little exercise which mounts up to a lot over the weeks and months.:hello:

[calleyw]

It is all very well saying take exercise for people with high BP.

My husband had a stroke last september and since about christmas has had high BP.

He can't walk to far and gyms are out. He is on medication but a the moment apart from watching his food intake there is not much more we can do.

Yours


Calley

[kickstart]

The best thing she can do is go to her doctor and find the CAUSE. Its no good trying all sorts of home remedies till she knows what is causing it . I have high blood pressure and without wanting to sound to dramatic..kidney failure. Nothing to do with diet, salt,exercise or drink! So please get her to see her GP , if it is that high he will give her tablets to help bring it down.

[Savvy_Sue]

The best thing she can do is go to her doctor and find the CAUSE. Its no good trying all sorts of home remedies till she knows what is causing it . I have high blood pressure and without wanting to sound to dramatic..kidney failure. Nothing to do with diet, salt,exercise or drink! So please get her to see her GP , if it is that high he will give her tablets to help bring it down.Alas, when my high BP was causing concern prior to an operation, no-one gave a hoot about the cause, which I couldn't help thinking might just have been stress! You're fortunate to have a GP who will work with you to identify cause and work out non-drug strategies for reducing it rather than throwing drugs at the problem.

Calley, I hope you and your husband have been given some advice about when and how your husband can increase his exercise regime - even if it's 'only' walking which can be excellent exercise.

[pink123]

sorry to hear about you mum. Weightloss may be extremely beneficial in lowering bp especially as she is newly diognised. Also, I would recommed that she makes sure that she has a blood sugar test for type 2 diabetes as they tend to go hand in hand!

[K9cuddles]

Alas, when my high BP was causing concern prior to an operation, no-one gave a hoot about the cause, which I couldn't help thinking might just have been stress! You're fortunate to have a GP who will work with you to identify cause and work out non-drug strategies for reducing it rather than throwing drugs at the problem.

Calley, I hope you and your husband have been given some advice about when and how your husband can increase his exercise regime - even if it's 'only' walking which can be excellent exercise.

I have to agree my GP is doing the same kickstarts.. there are some good ones still about!! I'm sticking with her now too! :rotfl:

[Ted_Hutchinson]

please ignore the vitamin D nonsense - there is a reason why the British Hypertension Society do not have anything to do with vitamin D in their anti-hypertension guidelines - because of the lack of evidence.I had hoped that over the weekend Mr_Rush might have thought a little more about the evidence linking high blood pressure to low Vitamin D status. But as he hasn't seen fit to edit out the word "nonsense" from his previous post perhaps now will he please, interpret the findings of this Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Risk of Incident Hypertension. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17372031) research for us?

The fact Mr_Rush cites the failure of the British Hypertension Society to investigate the issue, as evidence there is no sense at all in the observations that low vitamin d status, (in Winter, at lower altitude, or in darker skinned individuals) is related to higher blood pressure, is simply irrelevant. No sensible organisation bites the hand that feeds them. Look who sponser the BHS( Boehringer Ingelheim (http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.co.uk/) BMS (http://www.bms.com/)/Sanofi Aventis (http://www.sanofi-aventis.com/) Menarini (http://www.menarini.com/) Merck Sharp & DohmeT (http://www.msd-uk.co.uk/) Novartis (http://www.novartis.co.uk/) Pfizer (http://www.pfizer.co.uk/) Servier (http://www.servier.co.uk/) Takeda (http://www.takeda.co.uk/) )
Those sponsors are not likely to continue funding an organisation that proves the use expensive (http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/medizin_gesundheit/bericht-77114.html) and potentially dangerous (http://birthdefects.vanosteen.com/news/blood-pressure.pdf) medications could be reduced by ensuring the UK population acquire optimal (125nmol/L) levels of vitamin D in their blood by regularly going into the sun, using a sun bed (avoiding sunburn), or consuming a safe (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/1/6) and effective (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/77/1/204) amount of Cholecalciferol (Vit D3), when sunlight (or it's equivalent) isn't available.

It is about time UK doctors took account of the low Vitamin D status (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/3/860) of the population and the impact this has on many conditions.

[pink123]

I have to agree with mr_rush- there is a lack of evidence relating to Vit D!! I happend to work for Merck, Sharp & Dohme who are commited in creating awareness of bloood pressure by continuing to sponsor BHS and make it possible for health care proffesionals to attend important meetings on the BHS guidelines, which unless these 'sensible organisations' paid for our hcp to attend these meeting the NHS would have no way of keeping up to date with current data/guidelines. You may find it hard to believe but it is not always about money with big pharma companies, it is about saving lives (which it does by creating awareness of symptoms such as high blood pressure). There is a reason why pharma companies try to make money by selling drugs.......research to fund/develop new treatments for life saving conditions such as Cancer. If there was any evidence relating to Vit D and hypertension (I am not saying there may not be!), but if there was i am sure the pharma companies would still profit (and why shouldnt they?). India has one of the largest hypertension prevelence in the world and am i wrong in thinking that India is a sunny country??? What about parts of USA, again high HT prevelence ............exposure to alot of sunshine. At the end of the day we are supposed to follow evidence based medicines.........are we not?

[pink123]

Can I add that Vit D has been found to affect Osteoporosis and that is why is prescribed in those patients (even though other pharma companies such as Sanofi Aventis, MSD, GSK) all have 'expensive' products on the market. But because there is evidence that Vit D affects absorption of Calcium in the bones is therefore on the current guidelines. If the same was with HT, there would be no hesitation to add on current NICE/BHS guidelines!

[Ted_Hutchinson]

There is a reason why pharma companies try to make money by selling drugs.......research to fund/develop new treatments for life saving conditions such as Cancer.
It looks to me (http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cpd/2000/00000006/00000007/art00009) as if the interest in Vitamin D in cancer treatment is anchored around the finding of patentable analogues which will provide profit rather than encouraging the acquisition of free vitamin d, or using cheap unpatentable cholecalciferol for cancer/ms prevention.
India has one of the largest hypertension prevelence in the world and am i wrong in thinking that India is a sunny country??? What about parts of USA, again high HT prevelence ............exposure to alot of sunshine. At the end of the day we are supposed to follow evidence based medicines.........are we not?And the evidence is that India, USA and the UK populations (see link provided in previous post) have low Vitamin d status but this remains for the most part undetected and untreated because there is no profit in supplying cholecalciferol and the issue is not being brought before the GP's in the same way as the need for new profitable medications is drawn to their attention.
Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in postmenopausal south Indian women. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15776219)
Vitamin d insufficiency & Prostate cancer USA (http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040103)

[mr_rush]

sorry ted. still nonsense.
who funds NICE? Its the government, not any big pharma company.
Where does it mention vit d in the NICE guidelines on hypertension? Nowhere actually as they are the same as the British Hypertension Soc guidelines.

Tomorrow in clinic when I see patients with hypertension, some of whom have already had strokes, heart attacks etc... I won't be adding vit d to their meds.

[ailuro2]

Reducing salt intake, a healthy diet, reducing stress and gentle regular exercise have all been tried and found to help by a friend of mine who has tried all the different tablets from his Dr- has had high bp for years.

When he is stressed but doesn't realise it he comes back from check up s with a raised BP- I think that is his most important trigger, just fwiw and imho.

You really need to seek help from your GP or practise nurse, but having less stress, regular exercise and a healthy diet never hurt anoyone.

[Ted_Hutchinson]

sorry ted. still nonsense.
who funds NICE? Its the government, not any big pharma company.
Where does it mention vit d in the NICE guidelines on hypertension? Nowhere actually as they are the same as the British Hypertension Soc guidelines.

Tomorrow in clinic when I see patients with hypertension, some of whom have already had strokes, heart attacks etc... I won't be adding vit d to their meds.If I were one of your unfortunate patients I would sue you for incompetence and negligence. It really is about time the medical profession woke up to the fact the body uses between 3000 & 5000iu of Vitamin d daily. (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/77/1/204) and this is a risk free level of supplementation (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/1/6) when sunlight exposure isn't an option.
The fact that both the NICE & BHS guidelines fail to take note of the obvious link between lower vitamin d status and higher blood pressure is simply evidence of the lack of common sense so common in the medical profession.
How long does it take for the penny to drop?
Myocardial infarction is inversely associated with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels: a community-based study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=2262248) was published 1990.
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations and carotid artery intima-media thickness among type 2 diabetic patients. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=17054459)
You may say that Calcium/vitamin D supplementation and cardiovascular events. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17309935) shows Calcium/vitamin D supplementation neither increased nor decreased coronary or cerebrovascular risk but who in their right minds would consider using only a tenth of the daily amount the body needs would correct a deficiency status?

If you aren't aware that Low Vitamin D status is a risk marker for Stroke (http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/37/1/243) then you should be.

Vitamin D is related to blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged men. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8541004)

It seems that 800 IU (20 microg) vitamin D per day in combination with calcium reduces systolic blood pressure in elderly women. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15730407)

The concept of vitamin D regulation of blood pressure through the RAS opens a new avenue to our understanding of the physiological functions of the vitamin D endocrine system, and provides a basis for exploring the potential use of vitamin D analogues in prevention and treatment of hypertensio (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=12520534)

Its apparent critical role in electrolytes, volume, and blood pressure homeostasis suggests that vitamin D analogues could help prevent or ameliorate hypertension. (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=12122115)

since vitamin D(3) varies during the year, mainly following sun exposure, we suggest that vitamin D(3) is one of the factors participating in the seasonal variation of the blood pressure. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=12169847)

Inadequate vitamin D3 and calcium intake could play a contributory role in the pathogenesis and progression of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in elderly women. (http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/86/4/1633)

You still haven't explained the Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Risk of Incident Hypertension. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17372031) findings for us, I would find your explanation interesting.

[calleyw]

Calley, I hope you and your husband have been given some advice about when and how your husband can increase his exercise regime - even if it's 'only' walking which can be excellent exercise.


Rather a sore point with us about advice and total lack of help since he came out of hospital.

He does go for a walk around the block everyday.

As well as the stroke he has underlying medical condition so is on enough tablets to sink a ship.

We try and have food as natural as possible. And don't add salt to any cooking.

Yours


Calley

[mr_rush]

Ted on one side, the worlds top scientists, cardiologists, physicians etc one the other. Which one do I believe? Whose advice do I follow?
'If I were one of your unfortunate patients I would sue you for incompetence and negligence. '
only if i started you on vitamin d instead of an ACE inhibitor.
There is a huge difference between abstracts your find on the internet, primary research and what can actually be applied to clinical practice.

there are different grades of evidence as per NICE. grade A evidence is a meta-analysis of several double blind randomised controlled trials. this is the level of evidence we currently have for all the anti-hypertension drugs used in BHS/NICE guidelines.

If you can provide me with meta-analyses of DB-RCT of vit d vs placebo then i will bring it to the attention of one of my consultants who is a member of the BHS.

[ribenagirl]

I can't help but think that the professional disagreements on this thread have rather taken over from what could have been a supportive and constructive thread for the OP who is clearly worried about their mum's diagnosis.

As a 32 year old recently diagnosed with high BP during pregnancy which still hasn't gone away 10 months later, and having had all the tests which are all negative and being in otherwise good health, I now know that there isn't always a 'cause' and there isn't any one thing that works for everyone.

I've gone away and spent hours reading stuff and getting more and more confused about conflicting evidence, which is why I don't think the protracted arguments between two people specifically that have hijacked this thread are helpful. They certainly left me with a bit of a headache.

One of the most helpful sites I found was this one which has already been referred to:

http://www.nice.org.uk/pdf/CG018publicinfo.pdf

It's the National Institute for Clinical Excellence site, which talks in plain language about high blood pressure, how it is defined, and what you can do about it. A lot of it is common sense, but as you will see it depends on your mum's age and whether she has any other medical conditions.

Just remember for now though that just because she has high blood pressure, it doesn't mean she's going to drop dead of a stroke or heart attack (which is what I thought would happen when I was first diagnosed!!). It means the risk is increased but, if you smoke, that increases your risk of lung cancer but doesn't necessarily mean you'll get it. And luckily, it is something that they have good medication for these days! Good luck x

[Savvy_Sue]

Rather a sore point with us about advice and total lack of help since he came out of hospital.

He does go for a walk around the block everyday.

As well as the stroke he has underlying medical condition so is on enough tablets to sink a ship.

We try and have food as natural as possible. And don't add salt to any cooking.

Yours


CalleyCalley, I am sorry to hear that. Did you get in touch with Different Strokes (http://www.differentstrokes.co.uk)? It looks as if there might be some useful information on their website.

[twink]

i have hbp and nursed my husband at home during his last illness and as you can imagine it was a time of great stress and tiredness but because i lost about two stones in weight my bp went down to 120/80 which was excellent
i have no idea of vit D but i do know it is important to have potassium and magnesium in your diet and oily fish which contains vit D
when my dh had a heart attack, which he recovered from, i made sure he had the above and light meals, the consultant came to talk to me as dh's irregular heartbeat had righted itself and he was surprised

[Ted_Hutchinson]

First I must make it clear to ribenagirl that this is not a dispute between professionals. I have no professional medical knowledge. I speak only from common sense. It is the failure of Mr_Rush and the medical profession generally to apply common sense when considering Vitamin D and sunshine exposure that so angers me.
........only if i started you on vitamin d instead of an ACE inhibitor..............This is not a forum for medical advice but one for general health related moneysaving advice. The original answer I provided was to the question It there anything that anyone takes to reduce it?My suggestions were not in place of medical treatment, which is the responsibility of the person making the medical diagnosis, but of value for money supplements to support that medical opinion and treatment.

My suggestion that increasing vitamin d has been unfairly described as nonsense by Mr_Rush but he is unable to support his claim that there is no sense to my suggestion. It is clear from the abstracts I've provided that blood pressure varies seasonally and the controlling factor appears to be Vitamin D status. It follows that raising your vitamin d status to optimal 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L) will enable you to take advantage of the seasonal reduction available to those who regularly expose their skin to summer sunshine and allow you to benefit from the lower blood pressure levels enjoyed by those who live at higher altitude (nearer the sun) or closer to the Equator (greater availability of more effective sunshine)

We know from Hypovitaminosis D in British adults (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/3/860) that the majority of the UK population have low Vitamin D status and in addition to the treatments Mr_Rush offers a 25‑hydroxyvitamin D test (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/reference/glossary-%23.shtml#hydtest) and raising Vitamin D status to optimal (125nmol/L) by administration of sufficient Cholecalciferol is surely simply common sense. We expect hospitals to correct nutritional deficiencies when patients enter hospital malnourished, isn't it negligent and incompetent that Vitamin D insufficiency is totally ignored? Indeed Mr_Rush boasts about his failure to address this aspect of his patients care despite the evidence Low Vitamin D status is a risk marker for Stroke (http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/37/1/243).

The cost of 8 weeks Cholecalciferol (Vit d3) @5000iu/d is £2.50 (£13.75 for 250x5000iu) this will also ensure the original poster has the high status of Vitamin D known to reduce the risk of 16 or so most common cancers, improve her feelings of well-being (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=506781) and indeed improve her physical fitness (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/newsletter/2007-mar.shtml). The links I have provided in post 19 (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=4844746&postcount=19) are sufficient to show there is some sense in the claim that those with higher vitamin d status have lower blood pressure levels and I once again ask Mr_Rush to edit the word nonsense from his message 6 (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=4803362&postcount=6) or to provide links to an abstract of scientific research showing there is no sense to this suggestion.

Mr_Rush still hasn't explained the Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Risk of Incident Hypertension. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17372031) findings for us, I would find his explanation interesting. (and I feel the need for a good laugh)
Vitamin D linked with blood pressure reduction (http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2007/03/26/vitamin-d-linked-with-blood-pressure-reduction/)

[colchambers]

My mum has just been diagnosed with HPB. It there anything that anyone takes to reduce it?

Looking through this thread I couldn't see any detail about possible reasons for your mums high blood pressure.

Did the doctor give any reasons or do you know of any such as stress, being overweight, diabetes etc.

The reason I ask is that the effectiveness of any advice depends entirely on the source of the high bp.

My wife was repeatedly told she had high blood pressure. She had a fear of going to the doctor and she wasn't given time to relax. When they started taking a second reading after say 10 minutes her blood pressure was right down.

Put simply my wife did not actually have high blood pressure the nurses simply didn't test her blood pressure properly. So explaining this to the nurses fixed the problem. If there is a real cause the more we know, the more we can help.

Also would you mind listing the bp values if you know them to give us an idea how high the blood pressure is. My understanding is that the lower value as in 80 from 120/80 is more important as it defines the pressure on your blood system "at rest".

[LondonDiva]

My wife was repeatedly told she had high blood pressure. She had a fear of going to the doctor and she wasn't given time to relax. When they started taking a second reading after say 10 minutes her blood pressure was right down.

Put simply my wife did not actually have high blood pressure the nurses simply didn't test her blood pressure properly. So explaining this to the nurses fixed the problem. If there is a real cause the more we know, the more we can help. Or to be more specific and truthful, your wife had a fear/anxiety of drs etc which raised her blood pressure and which they were unaware of:rolleyes:. The bp was taken correctly, but this factor wasn't known to them so they acted on the information to hand.

Now that they are aware that she stresses herself out over medical stuff, they can take this into account.

My best friend's mum has this and it's called white coat syndrome

What is white coat syndrome?
White coat syndrome is a situation where patients have high blood pressure in the doctor's office but nowhere else. The situation is generally not this clear-cut, however, and often the patient has occasional episodes where the blood pressure is high when taken at home, but it is reliably high when taken in the physician's office. Some patients with sustained high blood pressure will have higher readings in the doctor's office than at home.

....Some studies have suggested however that white coat hypertension may "turn into" sustained high blood pressure

http://mens-health.health-cares.net/white-coat-syndrome.php
http://www.bhf.org.uk/questions/index.asp?secondlevel=1155&thirdlevel=1208#5657

[calleyw]

Calley, I am sorry to hear that. Did you get in touch with Different Strokes (http://www.differentstrokes.co.uk)? It looks as if there might be some useful information on their website.

Sue,

We have thank you. Has lead to something extra to try to help with the stroke related problems.

But it looks like his high blood pressure is related to the steroids that he is on for the underlying condition that he has that caused the stroke :rolleyes:

yours


Calley