About Hypertension

Dr John Anne asked:


Have you ever felt your heart to be pumping so hard especially when you are at the height of extreme emotions like anger or happiness? Have you ever felt a sudden rush of blood when you are nervous or excited? Are these conditions related to hypertension?

What is Hypertension?

Commonly referred to as high blood pressure, hypertension is a medical condition characterized by the elevation of blood pressure. There are different kinds of hypertension but the most common is the arterial hypertension. This condition could also be classified into two - essential and secondary.

Essential hypertension refers to the condition when there is no specific medical cause that could explain the occurrence. On the other hand, secondary hypertension is caused by secondary conditions like kidney malfunctions or adrenal tumors. When not treated immediately, this condition could become persistent and could cause a lot of other ailments especially those that concern the heart. It has known to be the common risk strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm. It is also said to be the leading cause of chronic renal failure. As an effect of hypertension, a person who frequently suffers such is known to have lesser life expectancy.

Though medicine poses specific ranges of blood pressure that are considered to be at the level of hypertension, the condition is still relative to a person. Sometimes, hypertension is dependent on how a patient can sustain certain blood pressures. When the blood pressure rises 50 percent above what is known to be the normal to a person, it already calls for a treatment.

Signs and Symptoms of Hypertension

Hypertension is only determined through a blood pressure measurement equipment and reads the systolic and diastolic of the blood. There is actually no identified sign of hypertension; rather, it varies from one person to another. Some people report to have experienced headaches, fatigue, dizziness, blurring of vision and facial flushing.

One of the misconceptions of hypertension is its association with stress, mental tension and anxiety. These conditions may affect the flow of the blood but those could not alone cause the imbalance condition of the blood flow. However, accelerated hypertension is closely associated with somnolence, confusion, visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting.

Being in a hypertension condition is not permanent; and it could not be severe enough to cause symptoms. Symptoms only surface when signs of end-organ damage are determined or are possible; otherwise, the condition is still considered accelerated hypertension. Malignant hypertension, on the other hand, is caused by increased intracranial pressure. These could be diagnosed through retinal examination.

Another misconception is that hypertension is known to be only experienced with people in old age. However, this condition could also occur in children and teenagers. Obesity in children is known to be a factor of developing the occurrence of such phenomenon. The detection and intervention in childhood hypertension could be determined though early evidence of the development of atherosclerosis. Aside from that, temperature could also affect the condition in children especially that they are in the height of an active lifestyle.

Complications of Hypertension

Hypertension , as mentioned earlier, could cause a lot of complications. Alone, it is not considered as illness since it is temporary. However, this condition increases the risk in developing other health conditions. Complications include cerebrovascular accidents or strokes, heart attack, heart failure, damage to the retina of the eye and renal failure.

Evelyn

joe r asked:


symptoms is hypertension– a very painful inner restlessness and agitation and raw, tense nerves that really hurts.

Philip

Eliza Maledevic Ayson asked:

Having hypertension is one indication that you are living an unhealthy lifestyle, and it is probably about time that you made some lifestyle changes in order to make sure that you live a much healthier and happier life.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the most common health problems that is affecting people worldwide. Although most physicians and doctors are recommending of-the-counter pharmaceutical medicines, those which are being sold in drug stores, as the means to treat hypertension, a lot of researchers and scientists are beginning to lean towards the use of some alternative natural remedies in treating the condition.

Diet change as one natural way of treating hypertension

There are a lot of different alternative natural remedies that can be used by people who may be experiencing hypertension in lowering their blood pressure, most of which are safe and effective. In order to know which one to use, it is important to remember first that these natural health remedies rely on how people balance their diet, intake of supplements and their lifestyle, which means that a person can improve his high blood pressure by simply focusing on those aspects.

Garlic

One natural way of treating hypertension is through the consumption of foods that help maintain blood pressure. A person’s diet plays an important role in how a person can maintain his blood pressure. One of the type of food that can help with hypertension is garlic, either raw or cooked, although raw garlic is more potent than the other. Garlic, which contains a compound called adenosine which functions both as a muscle relaxant and as an aid in vaso dilation, helps dilate the muscles of blood vessels, thereby avoiding blood clots and lowering blood pressure.

Potassium

Being deficient in potassium intake can help increase a person’s risk in worsening their hypertension, which is why eating a high-potassium diet, such as bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, skimmed milk, oranges, watermelon, soya beans, almond and spinach, can help lower their blood pressure.

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are also known to have an effect on blood pressure due to the fact that they are some of the best sources of vitamin C, and they contain potassium and loads of soluble fibre, all of which have an effect in lowering blood pressure.

Omega-3 fatty acids in fish

Omega-3 fatty acids, which have the ability to dilate blood vessels, are also able to significantly lower blood pressure, which is why the consumption of fishes which contains omega-3 fatty acids can be a good diet for people who are experiencing hypertension.

Calcium

Calcium, which has a relationship with blood pressure, also plays a role in maintaining a person’s blood pressure, especially with regards to muscle contractions including the heart’s. Calcium is able to regulate the heart’s muscle contraction, making it easier for a person to manage his body’s blood pressure.

Hawthorne

Hawthorne berries can also be used to treat hypertension as well. It has the ability to strengthen the pumping ability of the heart, as well as protect the arterial walls. It also helps dilate the blood vessels, thereby lowering a person’s blood pressure. Unfortunately, it may take some time before its effects can be felt by the person using it.

Vanessa Arellano Doctor

http://primeherbal.com

Gabriel

Sharon Bell asked:


In 2025, one in three adults aged over 20 years or 1.56 billion people worldwide will have hypertension.

This frightening prediction comes from Dr. Jiang He and colleagues at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, who looked at the overall prevalence of hypertension in 2000. The word “prevalence” refers to the estimated number of people who are managing hypertension at any given time.

The future global burden of hypertension was predicted after researchers studied data from 18 national and 12 regional surveys made between 1998 and 2002 in 7 world regions. Their analysis was published in The Lancet, one of the oldest medical journals in the world.

“Overall, 26.4 percent of the world’s adult population in 2000 had hypertension (26.6 percent of men and 26.1 percent of women). This meant an estimated 972 million adults, broken out as 333 million in economically developed countries and 639 million in economically developing countries. In men, hypertension prevalence was highest in the Latin American and the Caribbean region, whereas in women it was highest in the ‘former socialist countries’ of Europe. The lowest prevalence for both men and women was in the ‘other Asia and islands’ region. In general, the prevalence of hypertension at younger ages was higher in men than in women, but among older people (over 60 years) it was higher in women,” according to Medscape, a web resource for physicians and other health professionals.

Based on the data they collected, He and colleagues predict that by 2025, the number of adults with hypertension will increase by about 60 percent and affect 1.56 billion people worldwide. The researchers added that this increase will mostly be seen in economically developing regions.

Unfortunately, half of those with hypertension are unaware that they have the disease and only 13 percent have been treated. Untreated, hypertension can lead to stroke, heart attack, blindness, kidney failure or heart failure.

“Hypertension has no symptoms so the patient has to be evaluated thoroughly before things get worse,” according to Dr. Homobono Calleja, director emeritus of St. Luke’s Medical Center Heart Institute in Manila.

Since obesity is bad for those with hypertension, keep your weight down to a healthy level. You can do this with the help of Zyroxin, a safe and natural supplement that will maximize your weight loss through its unique fat-burning ingredients. For details, visit http://www.zyroxin.com/.

Oscar

Childfree Wolf asked:


I am 40 and have Hypertension for no known reason.

For medication, the doctor gave me Diovian, and Norvasec. These seem to work well. I do get light headed sometimes after taking the Diovian.

Then he gave me the Toprol XL. I started suffering from heartburn; sensitivity to bright lights, and light headedness. I could not sleep (nightmares). I’d get random erections when I was just idling (while driving, or watching TV)

He reduced the Toprol XL, and things got a little more normal. I still could not sleep. So I started taking Melatonin (one when I got home, and one shortly before bed). I discovered my blood pressure went way down. Is this because I am sleeping better, or does the stuff really help my blood pressure?

Melatonin is really cheap. Today I just take Diovian, Norvasec, Melatonin, and B vitamins. I have pretty much normal blood pressure all the time. Once in a while it goes up
What works for you?

Tamara

0 answers asked:


Can ANY hypertension medication affect:

- Communication
- Understanding conversation
- Anxiety levels
- Remembering

(please source your answer)

Raymond

My Religion Is Bigger than Yours asked:


As far as I understand, hypertension is dangerous primarily because of the slow damage to the organs which have to sustain the elevated pressure. But would this damage be smaller if the normal heartbeat was slower than the average? For example, pressure of 140/90 with the heartbeat of 50 would be less dangerous than pressure of 140/90 with the heartbeat of 70? Right?

Jared

peterhutch asked:


 
Hypertension, referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated. It was previously referred to as nonarterial hypertension[citation needed], but in current usage, the word “hypertension”[citation needed] without a qualifier normally refers to arterial hypertension.

Hypertension: Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

One of the most dangerous aspects of hypertension is that you may not know that you have it. There are generally no symptoms of high blood pressure, so you usually don’t feel it. In fact, nearly one-third of people who have hypertension don’t know it. The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to get your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. This is especially important if you have a close relative who has high blood pressure.

Causes of Hypertension

Race. African-Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than their Caucasian counterparts.

Gender. Men run a greater overall risk for developing high blood pressure than women do. However, women who are postmenopausal, especially if 20 pounds or more overweight, are at risk for developing high blood pressure.

Primary, or essential, high blood pressure accounts for 95% of all cases of hypertension.3Secondary high blood pressure, which is caused by another disease or medicine, is less common.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy

Mitral stenosis

Mitral regurgitation

The other major type of hypertension, termed Secondary Hypertension, has an identifiable cause. It is due to disease. For example, kidney (renal) hypertension is due to high blood pressure within the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys. The underlying cause is kidney disease or conditions like atherosclerosis, which narrow or block the renal arteries. Secondary hypertension may also result from hormonal imbalances, particularly in the kidney’s adrenal glands.

Experts believed that this system evolved millions of years ago to protect early humans during drought or stress by retaining salt and water and narrowing blood vessels to ensure adequate blood flow and repair injured tissue. With industrialization, however, this system wreaks havoc on modern humans by intensifying the effects of high-salt diets and sedentary lifestyle. Of particular importance in these harmful responses are the hormone aldosterone and a peptide (which are components of proteins) called angiotensin II.

Treatment of Hypertension

The goal of treatment is to reduce blood pressure so that you have a lower risk of complications.

There are many different medicines that can be used to treat high blood pressure. Such medicines include:

Alpha blockers

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)

Calcium channel blockers

Beta blockers. These medications reduce the workload on your heart, causing your heart to beat slower and with less force. When prescribed alone, beta blockers don’t work as well in blacks — but they’re effective when combined with a thiazide diuretic.


Tina

Nick Johnson asked:


Pulmonary hypertension refers to a medical condition in which there is an elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary artery which can restrict blood flow to the lungs and cause the heart’s right ventricle to overwork itself, leading to a variety of symptoms (including dizziness, fainting, and shortness of breath) as well a marked decreased ability to exert oneself (such as through exercise or a lot of activity).

The term primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), although it’s now being used less in the medical realm in favor of the term idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, is still a term used readily in literature as well as in the general public, and refers to pulmonary hypertension that has an unknown or unverified cause.

PPH has many possible causes, but because the term primary pulmonary hypertension was coined due to the fact that its cause is unknown, specific causes are difficult to pinpoint. Causes of the different types of pulmonary hypertension in general can include left heart failure, congenital heart disease, lung diseases, HIV and other autoimmune disorders, pulmonary embolism, and genetics.

One of the biggest suspected causes of primary pulmonary hypertension is the use of certain anti-obesity and weight-loss pills, such as Fen-Phen, which the FDA took off the market in September 1997 after reports linked it to pulmonary hypertension and other conditions.

If you have primary pulmonary hypertension, you’ll want to consider an effective PPH treatment. One of the most popular and beneficial PPH treatments is an FDA-approved drug called Tracleer. Why is this treatment so beneficial? Tracleer treatment, produced by Patheon Inc. and marketed by Actelion Pharmaceuticals, is a vasodilator drug in tablet form that is taken orally in order to help block the effects of endothelin, a vasoconstrictor naturally found in the body to shrink blood vessels, but is found in much higher concentrations in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension.

In addition, PPH treatment using this helps to relax the lung’s blood vessels as well as increase the level of oxygen in the blood. For patients with primary pulmonary hypertension, what this means in a practical sense is that they are able to perform regular activities at an improved level, without becoming fatigued, dizzy, or short of breath right away, and they are able to tolerate exercise more.

However, like all drugs, including others used for PPH treatment, it does have a number of side-effects that patients taking it or considering its use should become aware of. Some of the more common side-effects associated with this treatment include headaches, nasal congestion, flushing out, passing out, and even abnormally low blood pressure.

The most serious possible side-effect associated with this treatment, however, involves the liver. Tracleer can actually impair normal liver function, and even cause liver damage, which may or may not be permanent in nature. As a result, patients with primary pulmonary hypertension on this treatment require monthly blood tests of the liver’s function.

In addition to side-effects, Tracleer treatment also has one major contraindication: pregnant women or women who may be or are trying to become pregnant must not take it, as this particularly form of PPH treatment has been proven to be teratogenic (known to harm a fetus, cause birth defects, or miscarriage).

Therefore, in addition to monthly liver blood tests, female patients on it must take monthly pregnancy tests in case pregnancy occurs, at which point it must be stopped immediately. Further, if you’re a female on Tracleer treatment and you’re using a hormonal method of birth control, you will also have to supplement with a barrier method (like condoms) because it has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills, patches, rings, injections, and implants.

While this treatment often has more side-effects and potential complications than other types of PPH treatment, such as Flolan and Remodulin (two of the other most common types of PPH treatment), it is the preferred type for many because of its convenience in that it can be taken orally.

Patients with primary pulmonary hypertension may wish to talk to their doctors about different types of PPH treatment, including Tracleer treatment. It is available by prescription only and should only be taken under a doctor’s advice and directions.

If you have pulmonary hypertension with an unknown cause, and you believe you may have developed primary pulmonary hypertension because of your use of the anti-obesity, weight-loss pill Fen-Phen, then in addition to asking your doctor about Tracleer treatment, it is recommended you seek the legal counsel from a reputable law firm or PPH attorney specializing in Fen-Phen litigation cases. You may qualify for compensation.

Warren

Boris Prilutsky asked:


Medical Massage and Control of Arterial Hypertension

A Pilot Study

By Boris Prilutsky

The medical benefits of massage therapy in cases of musculoskeletal abnormalities are gaining acceptance from health practitioners. However, another advance in cases of various inner organ disorders, as of yet, is not recognized. In an attempt to bridge the gap between the two developments, I, with the cooperation of Victor Gura, M.D. (an associate clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine), have conducted a pilot study using six subjects with diagnosed arterial hypertension. Ross Turchaninov, M.D. (medical massage practitioner) advised on the project’s protocol.

Chain Reaction

Medical massage therapy is a soft tissue mobilization method. Several factors explain its physiological effects. Medical massage creates a mechanical acceleration of venous blood flow and lymphatic drainage, mechanical breakdown of pathological accumulation (e.g., soft tissue calcifications), and passive exercise on soft tissues. By mobilizing the skin, connective tissue, muscle tissue and the periosteum, receptors located in these areas are stimulated, generating afferent electrical impulses. These impulses reach the central nervous system, stimulating the body to react via beneficial reflex mechanisms. The end results are vasodilation (resulting in decreased blood pressure and heart rate), increased arterial blood supply to tissues, muscular tension release and other healthful reactions.

Explaining EH

The control of increased arterial blood pressure in those with hypertension is an important medical and social challenge. Hypertension is considered to be a major cause of heart attacks and strokes. An interesting fact, however, is that out of all hypertension cases, only 10 percent of patients have an established cause explaining their condition. For example, narrowing of the aorta, adrenal tumors or glomerulonephritis produces hypertension secondarily. In 90 percent of patients, the cause of hypertension is unknown. In such cases, the patient has “essential hypertension” or EH.

Modern conventional medicine recognizes an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system as the initial trigger of EH. An increase in sympathetic tone produces arteriolar vasoconstriction with a subsequent increase in the peripheral vascular resistance. At the onset, these changes exhibit a transient character and the body uses self-regulatory mechanisms to restore the proper relationship between sympathetic and parasympathetic tones. This is why in earlier stages there are episodes of increased arterial blood pressure, without symptoms of hypertension. With time and repeated episodes of hypertension attacks, the body resets special receptors, called baroreceptors, in the arterial circulation to the new level, and the elevation of arterial blood pressure becomes sustained. As we have found, a correctly formulated protocol of medical massage therapy may play a critical role in controlling arterial blood pressure in some patients with EH.

The Physiology

First, let’s quickly review how medical massage therapy affects the arterial blood pressure in patients with EH. There are three major mechanisms which massage practitioners should use to help patients with hypertension: Balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system, vasodilate the vertebral arteries and reduce peripheral vascular resistance. These three mechanisms are intimately correlated, hence the need to discuss them together as parts of the same process.

Vertebral arteries arise from the subclavian arteries. They ascend through the cervical vertebrae and enter the skull where they unite to form the basilar artery, supplying the posterior part of the brain. The vertebral arteries also give off two important arterial branches that supply the entire spinal cord: The anterior spinal artery and two posterior spinal arteries. The pathway of the vertebral arteries through the cervical vertebrae is quite complex. The transverse process of each cervical vertebra has a special opening called the transverse foramen through which the vertebral artery passes. Cervical vertebrae are positioned on top of one another such that these openings form a bony canal through which the vertebral arteries ascend.

The walls of vertebral arteries have their own sympathetic plexus innervation, regulating their constriction and dilation. It follows that any irritation to this plexus may result in their contraction. Even a minor facet joint subluxation, which may not even be visible by radiographic means, can produce an irritation slightly compressing the vertebral arteries. This constriction may lead to a reduced blood supply to the brain, which in turn will cause further vasoconstriction in an attempt to compensate for compromised circulation. The result is an inevitable increase in blood pressure or EH.

Other mechanisms that may cause a decrease in blood flow through the vertebral arteries are cervical spondylosis, emotional stress and physical overload of the neck and upper back muscles. As a result of these, a hypertonus develops in the cervical muscles. In order to maintain proper function, the brain’s daily perfusion has to be approximately 2,000 quarts of arterial blood. This rate is regulated by special vascular receptors in the arterial structures of the brain. Even a minor reduction in the amount of blood circulation triggers compensatory reactions such as an increased heart rate, increased cardiac output and, most importantly, an increased peripheral vascular resistance.

Peripheral vascular resistance is a major opposing force to the heart’s work. Every time the left ventricle ejects blood, the force of the cardiac contraction has to overcome the resistance of arterial vessels (especially on the level of middle-sized arteries in skeletal muscles). Thus, an increased sympathetic tone triggers arteriolar vasoconstriction, which increases peripheral vascular resistance, resulting in the heart having to work harder to pump blood.

The body has a protective mechanism designed to safeguard the blood supply to the brain. If circulation in the vertebral arteries decreases even slightly, peripheral vascular receptors report to the vasomotor center in the medulla oblongata and the heart rate increases. At the same time, motor (efferent) impulses are sent to the vascular structures in the skeletal muscles to constrict and decrease local arterial blood flow. This change allows for an extra amount of arterial blood to be available for the restoration of brain perfusion. The combination of an increased heart rate and an increased peripheral vascular resistance triggers hypertension. With a more persistent vasoconstriction of the vertebral arteries, the arterial hypertension becomes more enduring, resulting in higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure values.

Treatment Method and Approach

The main objective of this pilot study was to determine whether or not the elimination of somatic abnormalities in the reflex zones would bring about an elimination of pain symptoms (neck, upper back and headaches), increased range of motion and hypertension reduction. This hypothesis was first proposed in 1973 by Professor Alexander Dembo of Leningrad. Unfortunately, his work was never fully embraced in the United States, hence my decision to replicate the pilot study in this country.

Six participants were involved: Two Caucasian females ages 34 and 54; three Caucasian males ages 42, 60 and 65; and a 32-year-old African American male.

All the research subjects were diagnosed with hypertension, combined with somatic abnormalities: Headaches, dizziness, pain and tension in the cervical and upper thoracic areas, referral of pain to the upper extremities, and range of motion restrictions in the cervical spine and shoulder joints. Diagnostic evaluation of somatic components revealed abundant abnormalities in the skin, connective tissue zones, skeletal muscles and the periosteum in the neck, anterior, lateral and posterior surfaces of the thoracic cage, as well as in the upper extremities. Each subject received a treatment every other day for a total of 15 treatments, followed by a two-week interim, and then an additional course of 15 treatments. Hemodynamic examinations — cardio work, peripheral vascular resistance and blood pressure — were conducted prior to the start of treatments and upon their conclusion.

The protocol for each session included three stages Ñ introduction, body of the work and conclusion. During the introduction stage of the session, treatment began by releasing tension in the cervical and upper shoulder muscles using medical massage techniques in the inhibitory regimen, a process of minimizing disconnection.

For example, every receptor has its own level of adaptation, which means its capability to produce electrical activities (also known as impulse or action potential). To work in the inhibitory regime means to minimize disconnection and to keep a rhythm of 70Ð80 movements per minute while gradually increasing pressure. Receptors will eventually not produce any more action potential, but the flow of afferent neural impulses from the contact area of our hands will continue. The motor and vasomotor centers include pain-analyzing systems, responding in vasodilation and dispolarization of the neuron, causing a reduction of pain sensation and muscular relaxation. This approach aimed at reducing the sympathetic tone and restoring balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system. During the main stage of the treatment, work proceeded toward cardiac reflex zones in the skin, connective tissue, skeletal muscles and periosteum according to the zone maps of physicians O. Glezer and V.A. Dalicho (see illustration at left and “The Development of Modern Medical Massage” on page 68). Direct massage influence was generated on the areas of the vertebral arteries. This bodywork included gentle pressure and circular motions on the localization of the insertion of the vertebral artery to the brain’s circulatory system. Taking the distance from the mastoid process and C2 spinal process, the localization of this point will be one-third the distance from the mastoid process. By gently placing the finger there, the practitioner will be able to feel a pulse. Gentle, circular motion causes vasodilation of the vertebral artery, which originates from the sub-clavian artery. Now we have the capability to influence if we massage the area where the anterior scalene muscles insert into the first rib. For a practical demo please visit

http://medicalmassage-edu.com/dvd-details.php?dvd_id=2&dvd=2

Peripheral vascular resistance (in the skeletal muscle groups of the upper and lower extremities) was reduced by using a combination of different kneading techniques especially designed for this purpose. In the final stage of the session, post-isometric muscular relaxation of the cervical musculature was applied. In cases of prolonged accumulation of pathological tonous in muscles, muscle fibers could be constricted creating an energetic imbalance inside the muscle. Any movement overloads the constricted part of the muscle, meaning that the more exercise is performed, the more pathology is accumulated. At the time of isometric tension (30 seconds), muscles will stretch instead of shorten, helping balance the tonous of muscles. After the 30 seconds, post-isometric stretching is performed, which additionally contributes to this balancing.

Results and Discussion

It’s important to remember that this pilot study was conducted to determine if more scientifically organized, double-blinded studies should be designed. Thus, results were not statistically examined due to the small group of subjects and are to be treated anecdotally. However, these results are important in that they open the door for discussion within the profession and give massage practitioners important information to discuss with other health practitioners.

At the end of the course of treatment, all subjects reported the disappearance of their somatic complaints. It was also evident, upon palpatory examination, that clinical symptoms were eliminated from reflex zones in the skin, fascia, skeletal muscles and periosteum. As originally expected, the elimination of somatic abnormalities was accompanied by normalization of blood pressure and restoration of proper hemodynamics in all participants.

Potential Impact

The results of this pilot study provide the opportunity for the design of a larger double-blinded study that will be conducted under the supervision and participation of Gura. At this point, volunteer subjects are being sought to participate in this new study. Volunteers must have at least a six-month history of EH. The study will include those who are and are not already taking medications. Age and gender do not matter. Those enrolled will receive a complete physical examination, blood tests, hemodynamic reports and treatments at no cost. Researchers will also conduct diagnostic evaluations of somatic abnormalities in the reflex zone areas of the participants.

The potential impact of further studies is evident. More than 50 million Americans are suffering from EH, according to the U.S. Academy of Cardiology. Medications to control it have an array of side effects, including impotence in males. Add the enormous costs endured by individuals and insurance companies to treat it, and it’s easy to see that massage, as performed in this pilot study, would be an inexpensive and welcome course of therapy. Since 1973, this massage method has been utilized in the former Soviet Union and proven to be very effective. If further studies in this country prove that massage therapy helps not only to reduce blood pressure but also to stabilize it, then the utilization of massage in treating people with high blood pressure will be recognized as a legitimate and effective alternative.

Micheal