3 little-known culprits behind 'mystery cases' of high blood pressure

When it comes to determining the cause of high blood pressure, modern medicine remains largely in the dark. The majority of high blood pressure cases are still considered a mystery and are labelled essential hypertension which as many a medical student has joked in the past means: Essentially, we dont have a clue.

And while its true that hypertension drugs do reduce high blood pressure, regardless of the cause, theyre still not correcting the underlying problem. Not to mention that nearly all of them have multiple unwanted side effects ranging from fatigue to impotence.

But in most cases of essential hypertension, there are actually between one and three causes that are fairly easy to determine. Of course, since the cures and improvements for these dont result from the use of patented drugs, mainstream medicine almost entirely ignores these easy diagnoses as much as it ignores their natural treatments.

What your insulin levels can tell you about your hypertension

When most people hear the words insulin resistance, they think of type 2 diabetes. But a lesser-known though just as common consequence is high blood pressure. Professor Gerald Reaven of Stanford University is generally given the credit for coming up with the first comprehensive description of insulin resistance (also called metabolic syndrome) and its consequences: Essential hypertension is prevalent among older individuals, and approximately 50 percent of persons with hypertension can be considered to have insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia (Geriatrics 2000;55(6):28-32, 35).

But even though numerous articles have featured in medical journals about insulin resistance and its tie to hypertension, it still isnt a routine test in every case of hypertension.

Its hardly surprising though. If insulin resistance is the cause of your high blood pressure, the cure consists of a low sugar/refined carbohydrate diet, exercise and nutritional supplements like chromium and theres no money to be made with these natural solutions. To compound the problem, the most precise test for insulin resistance, the glucose tolerance/insulin resistance test (GT-IRT), isnt taught in medical schools, even though its been around since 1976.

If you have hypertension and your doctor hasnt conducted the glucose tolerance/insulin resistance test, ask for it. If your doctor is not familiar with the test, find one who is.

Could a heavy metal overload be causing your blood pressure to soar?

Heavy metal toxicity, such as excess mercury, lead, or cadmium, may also play a significant, but often overlooked, role in the development of high blood pressure. Studies confirm that heavy metals can directly alter numerous metabolic body processes and one area they can induce impairment and dysfunction includes the blood and cardiovascular systems.

In todays industrial society, theres no escaping exposure to toxic chemicals and metals from mercury-amalgam dental fillings and lead in paint and tap water, to chemical residues in processed foods and personal care products (such as cosmetics, toothpaste and soap). So the question isnt whether or not you have these toxic metals in your body the question is how much.

Hair testing can help determine this. If one or more metals are found to be high based on a hair test, theres definitely a toxic mineral problem. For more details on this test please contact Individual Wellbeing on 020 8336 7750.

If you do have heavy metal toxicity, chelation therapy will usually help lower your blood pressure. Chelation therapy is an intravenous process that binds to the heavy metals and removes them from the body. For more information on chelation treatment in the UK contact Dr Wayne Perry, Arterial Disease Clinic, 57a Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YP (tel: 020 7486 1095).

How a single vitamin could offer a safe and effective alternative to ACE inhibitors

Statistics have shown for years that the prevalence of hypertension rises for all ethnic groups the farther away from the equator they are. NHR has long suspected that vitamin D which is produced by the body following exposure to the sun is behind these positive results, and now theres a study confirming our suspicions. In 2002, the Journal of Clinical Investigation published a detailed explanation of exactly how vitamin D helps to lower blood pressure.

Heres how it works: Without adequate vitamin D, one of your genes (a tiny part of your DNA) initiates the formation of excess quantities of a molecule called renin. Renin breaks down another molecule, called angiotensinogen, into angiotensin I. Angiotensin I is converted into angiotensin II by a substance known as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). The end result angiotensin II is the bad stuff that (in excess amounts) causes high blood pressure. Most popular patented antihypertensive drugs are ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs).

But vitamin D does a better job than these drugs because it targets the problem at the most basic genetic level. In its fully activated form, vitamin D persuades the gene that controls renin production to become less active, and the end result is less angiotensin II and lower blood pressure (J Clin Invest 2002:110;229-238; Intern Med 1999;38:31-35).

Take 1,000iu of vitamin D a day. However, you should be aware that it frequently takes two to three months for significant changes to start taking place and six to eight months for vitamin D to take full effect.

To be on the safe side...

If youve been told you have essential hypertension and that the solution is to take anti-hypertensive drugs for the rest of your life, I suggest going to a practitioner skilled and knowledgeable in natural and alternative medicine to have all three of these parameters checked.
Your chances of eliminating or at the very least reducing your essential hypertension are very good. But be patient blood pressure reduction hardly ever happens overnight, and it could take a few months before you see any results.