Hypertension

One factor associated with cardiovascular disease is high blood pressure, or hypertension. Athletes are not immune to this problem. It’s not only a risk factor for heart disease but overall mortality. Hypertension is generally defined as blood pressures above 140/90. Unfortunately, the intense marketing of hypertension drugs, corresponding with newer definitions of hypertension, have resulted in more people being medicated and even those with normal blood pressure being told they are in a pre-hypertensive state. Indeed, medical journals are now publishing studies that show cardiovascular risk begins with blood pressures as low as 115/75, and that the blood pressure classification of “pre-hypertension” is a systolic pressure between 120-139 and diastolic between 80-89 mmHg.

To make matters worse, most patients are prescribed medication for hypertension without their doctor seeking the underlying cause of the problem. Additionally, most patients are not given appropriate diet and lifestyle guidelines that may reduce their blood pressure to the point where medication may no longer be needed.

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Among the problems that may contribute to hypertension is carbohydrate intolerance due to its influence of raising insulin levels. For the Two-Week Test, it’s recommended that if your blood pressure is high, you should have it evaluated before, during, and after the Test. That’s because for many people, significantly reducing refined carbohydrates and sugars, which reduces insulin levels, will reduce high blood pressure—often dramatically. As a result, if you’re taking medication to control blood pressure, your doctor may need to reduce or even eliminate it.

The vast majority of hypertensive patients I initially saw in practice were able to reduce their blood pressure significantly just by strictly avoiding refined carbohydrates and sugars, especially when the aerobic system was improved. Most of these patients were able to eliminate their medication. Other important factors included balancing fats, eating ten servings of vegetables and fruits each day, and controlling stress.

Poor aerobic conditioning can also contribute to hypertension. Those who are inactive and lead a sedentary lifestyle have a significant amount of blood vessels shut down (these are the vessels in the aerobic muscle fibers). These blood vessels remain inactive (they still exist but don’t circulate blood) until the aerobic system is better developed, when they start to circulate blood to the newly “turned on” aerobic muscle fibers. Because of increased and improved circulation, aerobic function is an important factor in both prevention and treatment of hypertension. Even one easy aerobic workout can reduce blood pressure for up to twenty-four hours. Anaerobic exercise may not be nearly as effective and can even aggravate high blood pressure through production of the stress hormone cortisol.

Important dietary factors that can prevent or help hypertension include eating sufficient amounts of vegetables and fruits. When certain nutrients are low, such as calcium and vitamins A and C, blood pressure may elevate. Taking these nutrients as a dietary supplement may not provide the same benefits (as most vitamins are synthetic and don’t function like those in real food). Basically, by increasing overall fitness and health, blood pressure can be normalized in the majority of people. It’s also important to look at the overall picture, as hypertension often means other problems exist. For example, kidney problems and narrowed or “clogged” arteries are commonly associated with hypertension.