Consumer Information Center High Blood Pressure Treat it for Life

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Section 2

High Blood Pressure: Treat it for Life

Taking Action To Control High Blood Pressure Cont... Types of Medications for High Blood Pressure Here are the kinds of drugs used most often to lower high blood pressure and how they work. The chart on page 13 gives the names of the most common drugs of each type. Diuretics are commonly used for lowering high blood pressure. They’re sometimes called "water pills" because they flush excess sodium and water from the body through the urine. This lessens the amount of fluid in the blood. Sodium is also flushed out of the blood vessel walls, allowing the blood vessels to dilate. As a result, there is less pressure on the blood vessels. Diuretics come in different brands, and doctors prescribe different kinds for different people. Beta blockers reduce the number of nerve impulses that occur in the heart and blood vessels. This reduction slows the heart, which beats less often and with less contracting force—so blood pressure drops and the heart works less hard. Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors block a hormone which is made in the kidney. This hormone narrows the blood vessels and causes blood pressure to rise. Calcium channel blockers keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to relax. Alpha blockers work on the nervous system to relax the blood vessels, allowing the blood to pass more easily. Alpha-beta blockers work the same way alpha blockers do but also slow the heartbeat so less blood is pumped through the vessels. Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses. Vasodialators open blood vessels by relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls. Possible side effects. Side effects can occur with any drug. Even aspirin sometimes causes stomach problems. Some high blood pressure drugs may make you feel tired or sleepy or cause you to have a rash or a cough. The important thing is that you pay attention to how you feel. And, if you have a side effect, don’t stop taking your medication—that can cause trouble. Tell your doctor about the problem as soon as possible. Sometimes, a change in dosage will stop the difficulty. Or, a different drug may be found that will not produce side effects for you. A reminder: It is important to take a blood pressure medicine according to its instructions. One or two pills a day control most high blood pressure. Sometimes, however, more than one drug is needed. Taking pills may seem bothersome and costly. But not taking them can lead to illness, disability, or death. If you are worried about the cost of a drug, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about a less expensive one. For example, your doctor may be able to prescribe a generic drug that has the same effect as a brand name medication, or switch you to another less costly type of drug. Test Your Blood Pressure IQ: Other Factors That May Affect High Blood Pressure Every day, it seems, some new factor is said to affect blood pressure—from fish oils to protein. Some factors do have an effect; others do not. Test your knowledge of some of the latest claims: Question: Is high blood pressure a disease of old age? Answer: No. High blood pressure need never occur—at any age. High blood pressure also need not worsen with age. Making changes in what you eat and regular physical activity are sometimes enough to keep it under control. Question: Does smoking tobacco products cause high blood pressure? Answer: No. BUT, it does increase the risk of heart and blood vessel diseases. It injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries. This applies even to filtered cigarettes. So even though it does not directly affect blood pressure, smoking is bad for anyone, especially those with high blood pressure. If you smoke, quit. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Once you quit, your risk of having a heart attack drops by about half within the first year. Eventually it will equal that of a nonsmoker. So you have a lot to gain by quitting. Question: Can tranquilizers, sedatives, and relaxation techniques lower blood pressure? Answer: Tranquilizers, sedatives, and relaxation techniques, such as reading, hobbies, long walks, vacations, biofeedback, and transcendental meditation (or "TM") are sometimes promoted as ways to lower blood pressure. But don’t be misled. They may make you feel better, but they will not keep your blood pressure down. Question: Who gets high blood pressure most? Is it more common among some racial and ethnic groups? Answer: High blood pressure occurs more often among African Americans than any other racial or ethnic group. See page 30 for more information. Question: Will drinking a lot of coffee send your blood pressure up? Answer: In the beginning yes, but the caffeine in coffee as well as other drinks like tea and sodas only raises blood pressure temporarily. The body becomes adjusted to caffeine. So you should be able to continue to have drinks that contain caffeine, unless you are sensitive to it or have heart disease and your doctor tells you not to have any. Question: Do vitamin and mineral supplements help lower blood pressure? Answer: These supplements are still being studied. But here’s what’s known so far: Supplements do not appear to be needed, unless you take a medicine that causes an imbalance in some nutrients. Other than that, most people should get all the nutrients they need from what they eat. Here’s a nutrient roundup: ·Potassium - Getting too little potassium in the diet may make blood pressure rise. Eating foods rich in potassium appears to keep people from developing high blood pressure. Most people get enough potassium in their foods. Some good sources, shown in the box on the opposite page, are various fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, and fish. ·Calcium - Some populations with low intakes of calcium have more high blood pressure. Scientists aren’t sure if the high rates result from a lack of calcium or some as-yet-unknown factor. You should try to get 800-1,200 milligrams of calcium each day. Good sources are diary foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese. Be sure to choose skim or low fat varieties. Low fat and nonfat diary products have more calcium than the high fat versions. ·Magnesium - A diet low in magnesium may make blood pressure rise, but again scientists don’t know whether the increase is from the lack of magnesium or some unknown factor. The amount of magnesium consumed through a healthy diet should be plenty. Magnesium is found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and dry peas and beans. ·Fish oils - A type of fat called "omega-3 fatty acids" is found in fatty fish, such as mackerel and salmon. Large amounts of fish oils may help reduce high blood pressure. But taking fish oil pills is not recommended because high doses can cause unpleasant side effects. The pills are also high in calories. Of course, most fish are low in fat and calories and can be eaten often. ·Protein - The amount of protein in the diet appears to have little, if any, effect on blood pressure. ·Garlic or onions - Garlic and onions have not been found to affect blood pressure. But they can be very useful as a way to flavor foods without salt. . . . . . . Good Sources of Potassium . . . . . . Apricots Lean pork Prunes and prune juice Bananas Lean veal Pumpkin Catfish Lima beans Spinach Cod Milk Stewed tomatoes Dry peas and beans Orange juice Sweet potatoes Flounder Peaches Trout Green beans Plantain Winter squash Potatoes Yogurt SOURCE: Adapted from "Good Sources of Nutrients, Potassium," United States Department of Agriculture, 1990.

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