High Blood Pressure Be Gone

Posts Tagged ‘range’

The acceptable range of blood pressure is debatable. The new regime of defining everything over 120/80 as hypertension (or pre-hypertension) is more a “confluence of interests” than scientific fact.

The former “rule of thumb” for acceptable blood pressure levels went like this:

- systolic 100 + your age

In other words, it was accepted that blood pressure would rise as one aged.

The new regime is must simpler. It says that 120/80 and below is OK. Up to 140/90 is “pre-hypertension”. And anything over 140/90 is hypertension.

The 120/80 is now the one-size-fits all model. “Pre-hypertension” is regularly treated with prescription medication to prevent it from turning into “the dreaded silent killer” hypertension.

The new regime has resulted in a multi-billion dollar boom to the pharmaceutical industry dealing in blood pressure regulating medications leading some to question this shift to regulating blood pressure at lower levels.

Is it more motivated by profit than health?

Doctor are caught between a rock and a hard thing regardless of their own professional judgment. They are bombarded almost daily by sales literature from powerful pharmaceutical companies that can and do sway the prevailing opinions of accepted medical practice. Doctors leave themselves open to malpractice litigation if they don’t follow the newly established measurements and procedures.

But a blood pressure measurement of 120/80 is not necessarily ‘normal’ – rather it’s an ideal.

If your BP is consistently near to 120/80 range then pat yourself on the back. It doesn’t get much better. The other  95% of us in our 40s and above require a range a little more flexible to remain in reality and avoid becoming a lifelong medication junkie.

The upper ‘safe’ range has been suggested to be 140/100 and below.

If you are on or below this range, and over the age of 40, you don’t have life-threatening high blood pressure. Now is the time to think about lifestyle changes to ensure it doesn’t get too much higher.

In other words, it’s normal to have slightly higher blood pressure levels as one ages. Welcome to the human race.

What isn’t normal is to have desperately high blood pressure levels. If you’re measuring in at over 150/110 It’s time to act.

That doesn’t necessarily mean running to your doctor to get a prescription.

High  blood pressure is an indication that your body is out of balance. You can get your body back in balance through exercise and diet. See my Natural Cures Review for more information.

I brought my blood pressure from close to 200/120 down to 130/90 range in four months through diet and exercise. Six months on it is now usually below 130/90. And I’ve never felt better.

Mind you I only embarked on alternative remedies for high blood pressure after two months of medication (ACE inhibitor).  That medication was a total failure for me.  It gave me a persistent dry cough and didn’t bring my BP down at all.

Had I stayed with the medication route I’m sure the doctor would have found some combination of chemicals that forced my BP to lower levels but that’s hardly a cure. And it would have turned me into a lifelong pill popper.

So, three things to remember:

1. If your BP reading are consistently under 140/100, relax, you’re OK.
2. If your readings are consistently over 140/105 then it’s time to take action.
3. There are better ways to reduce your blood pressure to acceptable levels than taking daily doses of blood pressure lowering drugs.

Best wishes,

Simon