Hypertension In America

A natural cure for hypertension (high blood pressure) is so much more desirable than relying on drugs.  Natural cures are healthy, only have positive side effects, and do not use up valuable health assets and resources.  Drug therapies on the other hand, are expensive and can be counter productive. 

Why then do most Americans with hypertension rely on drugs?  Another question, why do so many doctors prescribe a drug therapy over a change in life style? According to Drugs.com there are 195 name brand drugs currently on the market that are used in part, or in combination, to treat hypertension and there are more in the pipeline.

One hundred ninety five drugs for one ailment?  Ask yourself why there would be that many drugs for a single condition when there are only a couple of dozen pain relievers, which are used much more often, available over the counter.   Why would so many pharmaceutical companies invest in the research and testing for a drug that is already in a very crowded market?

For starters, according to the American Heart Association there are nearly 73 million Americans over 20 that suffer from high blood pressure.   That’s a lot of pill takers.  However, pharmaceutical companies keep pumping out hypertension drugs because there is a huge profit to be made.  Marketing becomes as important as the drug itself.

And the benefits of drug therapy?  Side effects may include dizziness, impotence, fainting, rash, hacking cough, depression, lethargy, liver damage and insomnia.  God forbid you also suffer from diabetes because that increases the risk of almost any hypertension drug.

Most professionals agree that the reason that Americans have a greater instance of hypertension than Europeans or Asians is stress and diet. 

Stress is part of the American culture and we idolize it.  Stress in itself is not a bad thing.  We tend to perform better if there is some pressure on us.  However, doing nothing to relieve the stress is literally killing us.

Americans don’t sleep.  Half of Americans have difficulty sleeping and get less than 6 hours per night.  Sleep is a natural way to relieve stress and half of us can’t do it.

Americans don’t exercise.  Two thirds are overweight and one third are obese.  Despite our love affair with youth and good looks, our daily lives do not reflect emulating those values.    We apparently do not have the time nor the discipline to spend 20 minutes a day exercising, even if it’s just a brisk walk.

Americans are killing themselves with their diet.  Probably the biggest difference between The U.S. and the rest of the developed world is a diet so poor in the nutrients needed for a healthy body, much less control hypertension.  Europeans and Asians eat much more fresh food rich in antioxidants, vitamins, potassium, and fiber than Americans do.  Fish is a regular part of their diet as well.  Not the frozen fried fish sticks that we feed our children but fresh fish.  Fish oil has long been recognized for its’ important role in reducing blood pressure.

So there you have it.  Americans are stressed out, not getting any exercise and eating poorly.  Not only that, we rely on doctors to treat our symptoms rather than make the effort to prevent a condition from occurring in the first place.  The net result is that Hypertension the “Silent Killer” is present in one out of three adults, costs this country millions in health care and we are unlikely to change our ways as a nation.

If you suffer from hypertension, you can reduce your risk simply by making some healthy changes in your lifestyle and you’ll save a fortune on drugs.  The diet and exercise plans available will not only help you with your blood pressure, but you’ll feel better and you’ll look better.  Do yourself a favor and do some research now.