Do Blood Thinners Affect Blood Pressure
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Drink The Right Amount Of Water
When it comes to drinking water, the most common suggestion is eight 8-oz. glasses per day. However, as a more personal approach, divide your body weight by two, and aim to drink that amount in ounces daily.
For instance, a 200-pound person should consume about 100 ounces of water daily. Drinking a glass of water before taking a bath can also help flush toxins from the body and reduce blood pressure.
Are Blood Pressure Meds Blood Thinners
Many of you who may have high blood pressure are thinking about or taking blood pressure medication. Various kinds of BP medicines are frequently discussed which raises many questions. A common one is, are blood pressure meds blood thinners?
Blood pressure meds are not blood thinners. Blood thinners thin the blood to keep blood cells from sticking together or increases the time it takes blood clots to form. Blood pressure medications decrease the amount of water in the body, relax and dilate blood vessels or make the heart beat with less force.
This blog post will explain how blood pressure and blood thinner medication works in more detail and the differences between the two. Many have asked if their specific BP medication is a blood thinner. Ill tackle all of this and more!
Health Plan & Medication: As you know, medication and healthcare can get costly. There are more affordable plans, even temporary coverage, which can save you a great deal of money. Some plans have $0 premiums. Find out if you qualify by checking their website, New Plan Options.
Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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Make Lifestyle Changes First
Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, it’s important to take steps to keep it under control because it tends to get higher with age.;That’s especially important if you’re a black American or have a family history of the condition, since both sharply increase the risk of developing it. And a healthy diet and lifestyle are essential if you already have high-normal readings. ;For people with high blood pressure, lifestyle measures can sometimes reduce or even eliminate the need for drugs. For example, research has found that the DASH diet can be as effective as medication for some people with mild hypertension. This relatively low-sodium diet relies on fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. The potassium in those foods, and possibly the calcium, too, appear to help control blood pressure.;For people with normal blood pressure and no heart disease or stroke risk factors, the suggested 2,400 mg daily sodium limit, achievable by adopting the DASH diet alone, might help ward off the upward creep of blood pressure that can occur with age. Other steps include losing excess weight, exercising regularly, and drinking alcohol only in moderation, as shown in the table below.
| Aim for a body mass index under 25. | 2.5 to 10 mmHg for about every 11 pounds |
Your Blood Pressure Meds May Protect Your Memory
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, June 21, 2021 — Older adults who use certain blood pressure drugs may retain more of their memory skills as they age, a new study suggests.
Researchers found the benefit among older people taking medications that are allowed past the “blood-brain barrier,” which is a border of specialized cells that prevents toxic substances from crossing into the brain.
Those drugs include certain ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers — two major classes of blood pressure medication.
Among nearly 12,900 study patients, those taking the brain-penetrating medications showed less memory loss over three years, versus people on blood pressure drugs that cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.
The findings add another layer to the connection between blood pressure and brain health.
High blood pressure is considered a risk factor for dementia, and there is evidence that tight blood pressure control lowers the risk of cognitive impairment — declines in memory and thinking skills — as people age.
The new study was published June 21 in the journal Hypertension.
It suggests that brain-penetrating medications may bring an “added benefit” beyond that of lowering blood pressure, said senior researcher Daniel Nation.
“I think this effect is independent of blood pressure control,” said Nation, an associate professor at the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders at the University of California, Irvine.
“That remains unproven,” Nation said.
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How Does Your Blood Pressure Medication Work
Have you ever wondered what’s going on behind the scenes with your blood pressure medication? Here’s how blood pressure medications work.
Blood pressure medications are grouped into several classes. Each class works in a different way to lower blood pressure. The main classes are:
diuretics : This class of medications works by increasing the amount of urine your body produces. This causes the body to lose salt and water, which decreases the volume of the blood, leading to lower blood pressure.
ACE inhibitors : This class of medications works by blocking the body’s production of a substance that tightens the blood vessels. As a result, the blood vessels become more relaxed, and the pressure of the blood inside the vessels decreases.
beta-blockers : These medications work by slowing down the heartbeat and decreasing the strength of each beat. This means blood is pumped through the vessels with less force, which lowers blood pressure.
angiotensin II receptor blockers : This group of medications works in a similar way as the ACE inhibitors. But instead of blocking the production of the blood vessel-tightening substance, it stops the substance from working on the blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to relax and the blood pressure to decrease.
Although not a separate class, there are a number of products available in combination formulations that contain two medications in one pill . These combination products reduce the number of pills you need to take.
How To Take Blood Thinners
Your cardiologist or nurse will explain how to take your medicine. If something is unclear, dont be afraid to ask for more information.
You should:
- Ask how long you’ll be taking the medicines. You may be on more than one medicine for a year or more, and you may take aspirin for an extended time.
- Always talk to your cardiologist or nurse before you stop or change the way you take blood thinners.
- If you forget a dose, take it later that day. If you miss taking it entirely, don’t take two doses the next day; talk to your doctor.
- Tell all your healthcare providers you’re taking blood thinners, particularly when you get a new prescription.
- Before you have dental work or surgery, ask your dentist or surgeon if you should stop taking blood thinners.
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Water Content In The Diet
Although drinking water can lower blood pressure, so can a diet high in fruit and vegetables. That is because many vegetables and fruit are mostly made of water.
A diet high in processed foods full of salt and sugar will increase your blood pressure. However, a diet rich in vegetables and fruit will lower your blood pressure. You will want to get organic fruit and vegetables when available, which are free from pesticides.
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
One class of medications used to treat a number of diseases across the cardiovascular spectrum is ACE Inhibitors, called so because they inhibit the formation of a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow. While recommended for their ability to reduce mortality and hospitalization rates, as well as improve quality of life and symptoms for patients, in very rate cases they may cause a swelling of tissues called Angioedema. A dry, hacking cough that wont go away can be indicative of this problem.
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Path To Improved Health
There are many types of medicine used to treat high blood pressure. Your doctor will decide which type of medicine is right for you. These are the most common.
- ACE inhibitors; keep your body from making the hormone angiotensin II. This hormone causes blood vessels to narrow. This type of medicine relaxes your blood vessels and opens them up.
- Alpha blockers help relax your blood vessels by reducing;nerve;impulses. This allows your blood to pass through more easily.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers; block the effects of the hormone angiotensin II. This hormone causes blood vessels to narrow. This type of medicine allows your blood vessels to stay open.
- Beta blockers make the heart beat slower so that blood passes through your blood vessels with less force.
- Calcium channel blockers; prevent calcium from entering the cells of your heart and arteries. This helps keep your blood vessels from contracting with extra force.
- Central agonists reduce the nerve impulses that cause the blood vessels to tense up or contract. They work the same way as alpha and beta blockers, but they follow a different nerve pathway.
- Diuretics; help your body get rid of extra sodium and water. This reduces the amount of fluid flowing through your blood vessels and lowers your blood pressure.
- Vasodilators; relax the muscles in the blood vessel walls. This causes the blood vessels to widen so blood can flow through better.
About Your Blood Thinner
Your doctor has prescribed a medicine called a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. Blood clots can put you at risk for heart attack, stroke, and other serious medical problems. A blood thinner is a kind of drug called an anticoagulant . “Anti” means against and “coagulant” means to thicken into a gel or solid.
Blood thinner drugs work well when they are used correctly. To help you learn about your medicine, your doctor has given you this booklet to read.
Depending on where you receive care, you may be seen by a doctor, nurse, physicians assistant, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, or other health care professional. The term “doctor” is used in this booklet to refer to the person who helps you manage your blood thinner medicine.
You and your doctor will work together as a team to make sure that taking your blood thinner does not stop you from living well and safely. The information in this booklet will help you understand why you are taking a blood thinner and how to keep yourself healthy. Please take time to read all of the information in this booklet.
There are different types of blood thinners. The most common blood thinner that doctors prescribe is warfarin . Your doctor may also discuss using one of the newer blood thinners depending on your individual situation.
| Warning!Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to get pregnant. Many blood thinners can cause birth defects or bleeding that may harm your unborn child. |
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Hypertension Meds: What To Ask Your Doctor
While 88 percent of patients who know they have high blood pressure are being treated with medications, only about one in three are able to gain control of their hypertension, according to the review.
If you cant seem to get your blood pressure under control, talk to your doctor about possibly combining at least two medications.
If people are doing fine with a single drug, then there is no need to change, says study author Anthony Rodgers, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at the George Institute for Global Health in Newtown, Australia. But research shows that most people require more blood pressure lowering than what can be achieved with a single drug.
The one exception, warns Goldberg, is people with very high blood pressureof over 160/90. Their blood pressure is so elevated that they may need higher doses of medication, and the review didnt look at cases like that, she says.
Its also important to realize that drugs themselves arent a cure-all. Its not enough to just take your medications reliablyyou need to lose weight, exercise, and reduce salt as well, says Rodgers.
When Treatment Is Recommended
Everyone with high blood pressure is advised to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Whether medicine is also recommended depends on your blood pressure reading and your risk of developing problems such as heart attacks;or strokes.
Your doctor;will carry out some blood and urine tests, and ask questions about your health to;determine your risk of;other problems:
- if;your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90mmHg , but your risk of other problems is low you’ll be advised to make some changes to your lifestyle
- if your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90mmHg and;your risk of other problems is high you’ll be offered medicine to lower your blood pressure, in addition to lifestyle changes
- if your blood pressure is;consistently above 160/100mmHg you’ll be offered medicine to lower your blood pressure,;in addition to lifestyle changes
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Evolving Treatment For High Blood Pressure
The findings presented today reflect a growing trend in U.S. healthcare that emphasizes greater importance on maintaining a healthy blood pressure range.
New scientific guidelines presented last year identified high blood pressure readings as 130/80. High blood pressure was previously defined as 140/90.
That announcement made waves, as it suddenly put 46 percent of U.S. adults in the high blood pressure category.
The treatment of hypertension, or high blood pressure, has evolved, Yancy said. New evidence makes clear that we can reduce the risk of stroke and death due to heart disease by carefully controlling blood pressure in those at higher heart disease risk.
For people with high blood pressure, theres a range of other approved medications available that may be safer and more effective than alpha-blockers and alpha-2 agonists.
Both Yancy and Clements point out that those medications include:
- thiazide diuretics
- ACE inhibitors
- calcium channel blockers
- angiotensin II receptor blockers
These therapies are all safe and effective, said Yancy.
Everyone should know their blood pressure. If it is 130/80 mm Hg, see a healthcare provider to determine your risk for heart disease and the best approach to address your blood pressure, he said.
But medications arent the only answer for people with high blood pressure.
How Blood Pressure Medication Works
It common for people to think blood pressure medication and blood thinners do the same thing. Many clients have asked, does blood pressure medicine thin your blood?
Blood pressure medicine doesnt thin your blood. Blood pressure medicine either makes the heart beat with less force, decreases excess fluid in the body, relax blood vessels or blocks nerve activity which constricts blood vessels.
There are 11 different categories of blood pressure medication 5. The following are the most common.
Diuretics
Diuretics increases the amount of urine the body produces;6. This causes the body to lose excess water and sodium. Blood volume decreases which leads to lower blood pressure.
The following are diuretics medications:
- Metolazone
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Spironolactone
Are you measuring blood pressure at home? Its a crucial part of maintaining a healthy blood pressure and to evaluate changes in your nutrition or medication. Check out the home monitor I strongly recommend and use myself in my blog post review, Welch Allyn Home 1700 Series BP Monitor Review.
Ace Inhibitors
ACE inhibitors work by limiting or blocking the angiotensin-converting enzyme which has a narrowing effect on the blood vessels;7. Blocking the enzyme keeps the blood vessels relaxed and more open which keeps blood pressure lower.
The following are ACE Inhibitor medications:
- Captopril
- Telmisartan
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How Drinking Water Lowers Blood Pressure
How does drinking water lower blood pressure? Normal blood pressure is the main benefit of drinking water. Although drinking water lowers blood pressure, it can also increase blood pressure to help maintain proper levels.
In a study published in the journal Circulation in 2000, researchers at Vanderbilt Universitys Autonomic Dysfunction Center would report on waters potent blood pressure-raising effect in patients with autonomic nervous system failure.
Keep in mind that low blood pressure is among the symptoms associated with autonomic dysfunction.
On average, 16 ounces of tap water had increased blood pressure by 40 mmHg in autonomic failure patients. Blood pressure had started to increase within two to three minutes of water consumption.
There would then be a rapid increase over the next 15 minutes, before a blood pressure reduction after about an hour. Drinking water at the 60-minute mark led to blood pressure being sustained for another hour.
Hypertension Meds: When Smaller Doses Are Better
Many people find blood pressure medications hard to tolerate, since side effects can include dry cough, stomach upset, dizziness, headache, and fatigue.
But the new study in the journal Hypertension suggests that smaller doses of multiple drugs work better and create fewer side effects than a large dose of a single drug.
When researchers analyzed results from over 42 studies of more than 20,000 people with high blood pressure, they found that combining two medications, each at a quarter dose, was just as effective as taking one blood pressure medication at a standard doseand taking four medications each at a quarter dose worked twice as well.;
This study confirms what many of us already anecdotally knew in our own practices: that lower doses of multiple medications are often the way to go, because it seems to reduce side effects, especially in women, says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director of NYU Langones Joan H. Tisch Center for Womens Health. ;
The reason the approach may be so effective, theorizes Goldberg, is because it works on all the different aspects of hypertension: For example, an ACE inhibitor like lisinopril relaxes blood vessels, while a diuretic such as HCTZ gets rid of the extra salt and water in your body that can elevate your blood pressure.
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