What Is Resistant Hypertension
High blood pressure is sometimes known as the silent killer so named because it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, but often goes unnoticed because of its lack of obvious symptoms. In fact, you may have high blood pressure and not even know it.
But resistant hypertension, just as the name says, is when your high blood pressure is difficult to control even with medication.
Resistant hypertension is the failure to reach your goal blood pressure when youre adhering to maximally tolerated doses of an appropriate three-drug regimen that includes a diuretic, explains Dr. Thomas.
Put another way: If you have high blood pressure, and youre taking the maximum dose of three different blood pressure medications including a water pill , and your blood pressure still isnt at safe levels, you may have resistant hypertension. And youll need to do more to control it.
If You Need Two Medications
Many types of blood pressure drugs work best when taken together. When taking two drugs together, diuretics have been shown to lower blood pressure with a beta-blocker, ACE inhibitor and an ARB. A calcium channel blocker lowers blood pressure with the same drugs that work well with a diuretic. Other drug combinations are necessary when taking three or more blood pressure medications. There may be other reasons why your doctor may prescribe two blood pressure medications. For example, after heart attacks, doctors will prescribe a beta-blocker and an ACE inhibitor, but this is not primarily to reduce blood pressure.
How Do I Know If I Have High Blood Pressure
Theres only one way to know if you have high blood pressure: Have a doctor or other health professional measure it. Measuring your blood pressure is quick and painless.
Talk with your health care team about regularly measuring your blood pressure at home, also called self-measured blood pressure monitoring.
High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it.
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Who Is Affected By High Blood Pressure
Approximately 1 in 3, more than 100 million, American adults have high blood pressure. But only half of those people have their condition under control. Many people develop high blood pressure when they are in their late 30s or early 40s, and it occurs more frequently as people age. However, because of the obesity epidemic, more and more children are also developing high blood pressure.
How Can You Manage Your High Blood Pressure
Treatment of high blood pressure often starts with lifestyle changes, including decreasing salt in your diet, losing weight if necessary, stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol use, and regular exercise.
In addition to lifestyle changes, medications are often used to lower blood pressure. There are several types of medications that treat high blood pressure with each type of medication having benefits and risks that should be carefully weighed by you and your health care provider. Most people take more than one medication in order to bring their blood pressure down to their treatment goal.
Your blood pressure medication should begin to work within days. However, because high blood pressure is a long-lasting medical condition that often has little or no symptoms, remembering to take your medications can be a challenge. Combination medicines, long-acting or once-a-day medications, may be used to decrease the burden of taking numerous medications and help ensure medications regularly. Once started, the medication should be used until your doctor tells you to stop.
Controlling your blood pressure should be part of a healthy living plan and lifelong task. The damage that high blood pressure causes your internal organs does not cause any symptoms until serious damage has been done.
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Can The Rox Coupler Av
Rox CONTROL-HTN was a prospective, open-label, multicenter trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Rox coupler in patients with resistant HTN , on a stable regimen of more than 3 antihypertensive medications. Patients with type 1 diabetes, significant peripheral venous or arterial disease, cerebro-vascular disease or unstable cardiac or pulmonary conditions were excluded from the study. Forty-four patients were treated with the coupler and 39 patients were allocated to control group. The difference between the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure at 6 months was significant. The magnitude of blood pressure reduction was consistent through 12 months demonstrating a durable treatment effect. The mean systolic and diastolic differences at 12 months were -27 and -21 in the treated versus -3.7 and -2.4 in the control. Some patients developed some lower extremity edema related to the iliac vein and were treated successfully with a stent.
Rox US CONTROL HTN-2 is a prospective, randomized, adaptive, double-blind, sham-controlled, multicenter study to evaluate the Rox coupler in patients with resistant HTN. To qualify, systolic blood pressure should be greater than 160 or greater than 150 if a hospitalization was required in the last 12 months. The patients should be on a stable medical regimen that includes a diuretic and 2 additional antihypertensive medications. For more information, visit clinicaltrials.gov.
Put Down The Saltshaker
Keeping your sodium intake to a minimum can be vital for lowering blood pressure.
In some people, when you eat too much sodium, your body starts to retain fluid. This results in a sharp rise in blood pressure.
The AHA recommends limiting your sodium intake to between 1,500 milligrams and 2,300 mg per day. Thats a little over half a teaspoon of table salt.
To decrease sodium in your diet, dont add salt to your food. One teaspoon of table salt has 2,300 mg of sodium!
Use herbs and spices to add flavor instead. Processed foods also tend to be loaded with sodium. Always read food labels and choose low-sodium alternatives when possible.
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Measuring Your Blood Pressure At Home
You can also diagnose yourself with hypertension by measuring your blood pressure at home. If readings are high over two visits at the doctors office, and if your blood pressure is higher than 135/85 mmHg when properly measured at home, then the diagnosis of hypertension can be made. This requires you to measure your blood pressure twice a day, in the morning and evening, for one week. Pay no attention to the measurements from the first day. Measuring blood pressure at home requires accurate equipment and proper measuring techniques. Measure the blood pressure of others in your house their blood pressure may also be high.
High Blood Pressure Facts
What every adult should know about high blood pressure, or hypertension
There’s a good reason why every doctor’s appointment starts with a blood pressure check. While one in three American adults has high blood pressure, about 20% of people are unaware that they have it because it is largely symptomless.
In fact, most people find out they have high blood pressure during a routine office visit.
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as the heart pumps blood. High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, is when that force is too high and begins harming the body. If left untreated, it willl eventually cause damage to the heart and blood vessels.
Your blood pressure is measured in two numbers: The top systolic blood pressure measures the force pushing against artery walls when the heart is contracting. The bottom diastolic blood pressure measures pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats.
Normal blood pressure levels are 120 mmHg/80 mmHg or lower. At risk levels are 120-139 mmHg/80-89 mmHg. Readings of 140 mmHg/90 mmHg or higher are defined as high blood pressure.
Here are six other things you should know about high blood pressure.
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The Best Emergency Treatment For High Blood Pressure At Home Is Prevention
High blood pressure is common for people in their 60s and 70s. For the most part, high blood pressure comes with no symptoms attached. You may have to limit your morning cups of coffee, but beyond that, you can have high blood pressure and rarely notice it.
The complications of high blood pressure come when your blood pressure raises to dangerous levels, known as a hypertensive crisis. To prepare for this scenario, you should know the warning signs and know when to call 911.
The best at-home treatment for high blood pressure is always preventative treatment. Monitor your levels daily, keep an accessible log of all medications, and stay on top of exercise.
Lastly, install the Snug App on your phone so you can check in daily, ensuring your loved ones that youre looked after. If you miss a check-in, well alert your loved ones for you. That way, they can check up on you in case you need help.
Cut Back On Sugar And Refined Carbohydrates
Many scientific studies show that restricting sugar and refined carbohydrates can help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure.
A 2010 study compared a low-carb diet to a low-fat diet. The low-fat diet included a diet drug. Both diets produced weight loss, but the low-carb diet was much more effective in lowering blood pressure.
The low-carb diet lowered blood pressure by 4.5 mm Hg diastolic and 5.9 mm Hg systolic. The diet of low-fat plus the diet drug lowered blood pressure by only 0.4 mm Hg diastolic and 1.5 mm Hg systolic .
A 2012 analysis of low-carb diets and heart disease risk found that these diets lowered blood pressure by an average of 3.10 mm Hg diastolic and 4.81 mm Hg systolic .
Another side effect of a low-carb, low-sugar diet is that you feel fuller longer, because youre consuming more protein and fat.
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Measuring Ambulatory Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can also be diagnosed through a special device called an ambulatory blood pressure monitor. A doctor, nurse or pharmacist will get you to wear the device for a full day. The device measures blood pressure every 20 to 30 minutes and gives the doctor an average of your blood pressures during the day and while you are sleeping. These devices are not available everywhere and can be uncomfortable to wear.
How Can I Treat High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is very treatable. Treatment includes medications and changes you can make in your everyday life. Changes you can make to lower your blood pressure include:
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Eating less salt
In some cases, making these changes may be enough to lower your blood pressure. If your blood pressure remains high, you may need to start taking medication to bring it down.
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Prevention Detection Evaluation: Treating High Blood Pressure At Home
To prevent or treat hypertensive urgency at home, you’ll want to take a good, hard look at your heart health, and try to lower your blood pressure naturally. Always meet with your healthcare provider about antihypertensive medications , and monitor your blood pressure daily.
After meeting with your doctor to discuss medications, we recommend taking the following steps:
Monitor your blood pressure: Purchase an at-home blood pressure monitor .
Record your readings: Take your blood pressure reading daily, and write it down. Store it in a log, whether it’s a legal pad or printed spreadsheet.
Keep your readings close-by: Store your blood pressure log and a list of the medications you take in a folder by your phone, near the entrance to your home, or in another easily accessible area. In the case of an emergency, you can tell medics to grab your folder.
Your doctor will also discuss potential lifestyle changes with you. If you enjoy an evening glass of wine or whiskey on the rocks, you may want to cut back. You will also want to limit your caffeine intake and any tobacco products. Try your best to stay on top of daily exercise, as directed by your physical therapist.
Take Help From Family And Friends
It is advised to seek help from family, friends, and neighbors in case of uneasiness.
Visiting a crowded function increases the risk of hypertension by almost 52%.
Wondering how to quickly lower blood pressure in minutes?
One way is to be careful about your surroundings. If visiting someplace which might trigger anxiety, go with a family member.
That way, even if you feel mild discomfort, youll have someone by your side. It is good to have a known face around the time of crisis.
Remember hypertension is a product of irregular lifestyle and stress. If you have a close friend around, you might feel less anxious already.
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Meditate And Practice Om Chanting
Meditation, deep breaths and yoga have more profound effects than you can imagine.
Consider it a personal experience, but deep breaths and chanting om is a solution. It is a way to control high BP immediately.
High blood pressure increases heart rate and causes erratic breathing.
At the time of panic, all you need to focus on is your breathing.
Many times, situations go out of hand due to less oxygen supply in the body.
So, focus more on internal strength even at those critical seconds. Try to listen to calm music.
You need to stay calm for those brief moments and not give up on yourself.
The Only Emergency Treatment For High Blood Pressure At Home: Call 9
If you have chronically high blood pressure, you’re probably aware of the scenarios listed above. We didn’t review them to frighten you we simply believe it’s best to start with the risks and warning signs, then work backward to lay out a plan.
If you’re over the age of 60 and have struggled with high blood pressure in the past, it’s important to know how to treat high blood pressure at home. This is important not only for your personal well being, but for the peace of mind of those who love and care about you.
Be sure to have Snug installed on your phone, so you can check-in daily. If you miss a check-in, well send a notification to your loved ones telling them to check on you.
Reminder: In a hypertensive emergency, there is no at-home treatment. Call 911, and go to the hospital. In the case of a hypertensive urgency, the best at-home treatment is long-term blood pressure control, which we’ll review in the next section.
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Foods For High Blood Pressure
If you are eating a whole foods plant-based diet and are still struggling with high blood pressure, there are certain foods you can incorporate into your diet.
A few tablespoons of ground flaxseed a day has been shown to greatly reduce blood pressure. In this study, flaxseed was found to be 2 to 3 times more powerful than an exercise program.
Hibiscus tea also seems to be effective at reducing blood pressure. Although, more research is needed.
How Is It Treated
For most people, the goal is to reduce the blood pressure to less than 140/90. If you have diabetes or kidney disease, the goal is less than 130/80 mm Hg.
If your blood pressure is above normal , you may be able to bring it down to a normal level without medicine. Weight loss, changes in your diet, and exercise may be the only treatment you need. If you also have diabetes, you may need additional treatment.
If these lifestyle changes do not lower your blood pressure enough, your healthcare provider may prescribe medicine. Some of the types of medicines that can help are diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and vasodilators. These medicines work in different ways. Many people need to take 2 or more medicines to bring their blood pressure down to a healthy level.
When you start taking medicine, it is important to:
- Take the medicine regularly, exactly as prescribed.
- Tell your healthcare provider about any side effects right away.
- Have regular follow-up visits with your healthcare provider.
It may not be possible to know at first which drug or mix of drugs will work best for you. It may take several weeks or months to find the best treatment for you.
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What Is Normal Blood Pressure
A blood pressure reading is written like this: 120/80. It’s read as “120 over 80.” The top number is called the systolic, and bottom number is called the diastolic. The ranges are:
- Normal: Less than 120 over 80
- Elevated: 120-129/less than 80
- Stage 1 high blood pressure: 130-139/80-89
- Stage 2 high blood pressure: 140 and above/90 and above
- Hypertension crisis: higher than 180/higher than 120 — See a doctor right away
If your blood pressure is above the normal range, talk to your doctor about how to lower it.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
Being overweight is a risk factor for having high blood pressure, and your risk increases further if you are obese.
There are two ways to check if you are overweight:
- Body Mass Index – This is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres squared. In the UK, people with a BMI of between 25 to 30 are overweight, and those with an index above 30 are classed as obese. People with a BMI of 40 or more are morbidly obese.
- Waist size – Using a measuring tape place the tape round your waist between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bone. The table below indicates how much your health might be at risk, your ethnicity should also be taken into account.
| Sex | |
| Over 80 cm |
The best way to tackle obesity is by reducing the amount of calories that you eat, and taking regular exercise. Your GP can provide you with further information and advice on how you can do this.
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