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What exactly is high blood pressure and why isn't there global agreement among the medical industry of for the best treatment? Learn more about the dangers of high blood pressure and commonly prescribed medications for hypertension in part 1 of our blood pressure report.

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of the arteries each time your heart beats. Your blood pressure is highest each time the heart beats
pumping blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure
and is the high number in your reading. The diastolic pressure measures the pressure in between beats
when your heart is at rest. Your blood pressure is lowest while sleeping and although it varies some during the day
it remains close to the same. Normal blood pressure is 120/80. If your systolic pressure rises to 140 or above
or if your diastolic pressure rises to 90 or above
this is considered high blood pressure..

According to the American Heart Association
an estimated one in three U.S. adults have high blood pressure
also known as hypertension
and an alarming one-third of those don't even know they have it. It's no wonder this condition has long been called "the silent killer".

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke
heart attack
heart failure and kidney failure. And when it exists with obesity
smoking
high blood cholesterol or diabetes
the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times. If you don't have high blood pressure by age 55
your chance of developing it at some point in your life is 90 percent
according to the National Heart
Lung
and Blood Institute.

Although high blood pressure can occur in both children and adults
it is most common in those over age 35
and is most prevalent in African Americans
middle-aged and elderly people
obese people
heavy drinkers and women taking birth control pills. Although many people get high blood pressure as they get older
it is not part of the aging process! Proper diet
exercise and lifestyle changes can help in prevention and lowering of blood pressure.
Commonly Prescribed Medication for High Blood Pressure

In 90-95 percent of cases
research scientists don't know what causes high blood pressure
but fortunately they know enough to have developed both drug and non-drug products to treat it effectively.

A wide variety of medications are available to medical professionals for treating high blood pressure. Although other classes of medications are sometimes prescribed
the most commonly prescribed can be broken down into five different classes of medications that work in different ways to lower pressure.

Diuretics (water pills) work in the kidney to get rid of excess water and sodium.

Beta-Blockers reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels to cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force.

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II
which would otherwise cause vessels to narrow.

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) block the action of angiotensin II.

Calcium Channel Blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels
causing blood vessels to relax.

As of June
2005
there didn't appear to be much global agreement among medical experts worldwide in terms of recommended first-line therapy for treating high blood pressure. It is important to note that in June
2006
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the British Hypertension Society have come to an agreement within the UK
and have issued new guidelines
including important changes to help guide primary care physicians in determining first-line therapy. A major change is that Beta-Blockers
which have been shown to be less effective in preventing strokes and more likely to cause diabetes
are no longer recommended as routine treatment for the majority of people with high blood pressure. Instead
ACE Inhibitors (or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers if there are side effects) are now recommended in the UK for most people
with some exceptions
before trying other classes of medication for hypertension.

As with any medication
there may be side effects from taking ACE Inhibitors
and some should not use them at all
including black people of any age. According to the Mayo Clinic
a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine
also in June
2006
indicated an increased risk of birth defects in children whose mothers took ACE inhibitors during the first trimester
adding to the known risks during the second and third trimesters. While most people can tolerate ACE Inhibitors
some may experience side effects such as cough
elevated blood potassium levels
low blood pressure
dizziness
headache
drowsiness
weakness
abnormal taste (metallic or salty taste)
and rash. Rare
but more serious side effects include kidney failure
allergic reactions
a decrease in white blood cells
and swelling of tissues (angioedema).

Very similar to ACE Inhibitors are ARB medications
and depending on the individual’s particular health issues
a doctor may switch between the two
and may sometimes prescribe both. The most common side effects with ARBs are cough
elevated potassium levels
low blood pressure
dizziness
headache
drowsiness
diarrhea
abnormal taste sensation (metallic or salty taste)
and rash. Compared to ACE inhibitors
cough occurs less often with ARBs. The most serious
but rare
side effects are kidney failure
liver failure
allergic reactions
a decrease in white blood cells
and swelling of tissues (angioedema) .

On January 19
2007
Rush University Medical Center reported findings that ACE Inhibitors and ARBs prevent people from getting diabetes
and that diuretics and beta-blockers increase the chance that a person becomes diabetic. The authors pointed out that more studies are required to determine whether new-onset diabetes leads to as many heart attacks
strokes or death
as long-standing diabetes. However
their data suggests that the differences between antihypertensive drugs regarding the risk for new-onset diabetes are real and are significant.

Melaleuca offers a natural high blood pressure remedycalled ProStolic which interacts with a natural body enzyme much like the ACE Inhibitors and ARB medications to relax blood vessels and allow healthy blood flow. As a comparison
it might be helpful to understand how the ACE and ARB class of drugs react
as well as how the non-drug hypertension remedy ProStolic formula reacts with the body.

In Part 2 of our Blood Pressure Research Report we will discuss the ACE Inhibitors and Angiotension Receptor Blockers
Natural Therapy for Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure and benefits of Bioactive Casein Hydrolysate Tripeptides VPP and IPP.