Are There Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure? | Ask Cleveland Clinic's Expert

Are There Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure? | Ask Cleveland Clinic's Expert

Are There Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure? | Ask Cleveland Clinic's Expert

Chronic high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is sometimes called “the silent killer” because of the damage it can do within the body — without showing any external signs at all.

Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Luke Laffin, MD, breaks down what you need to know about hypertension, including how to tell if you have it, how to manage it and what it can do if left untreated.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:09 What is high blood pressure or hypertension?
0:48 What causes high blood pressure?
1:36 How does it feel to have high blood pressure?
2:10 Can stress and anxiety impact blood pressure?
2:56 Can certain foods cause high blood pressure?
3:33 Natural ways to lower blood pressure
4:11 What to do if you have high blood pressure

Resources:
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Symptoms, Causes and Diet: https://cle.clinic/3j0Yu0p
Hypertension: Strategies to Control It: https://cle.clinic/3k89Ejb
High Blood Pressure: Talking to Your Medical: https://cle.clinic/2W7ouhJ
High Blood Pressure? What To Do When Your Medication Isn’t Enough: https://cle.clinic/3z32IKu
Pulmonary Hypertension: How (and Why) to Embark on a Lower-Salt Lifestyle: https://cle.clinic/3miYmev

The information in this video was accurate as of 8.20.21 and is for information purposes only. Consult your local medical authority or your healthcare practitioner for advice.

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Content

0.12 -> - I'm Luke Laffin.
1.15 -> And I'm a cardiologist at Cleveland clinic.
3.35 -> Today, we're gonna speak about hypertension,
6.06 -> also known as high blood pressure.
8.528 -> (upbeat music)
11.54 -> Oftentimes patients ask me what is high blood pressure?
15.28 -> And we tend to use the terms,
16.81 -> hypertension and high blood pressure synonymously.
19.99 -> Although they're not necessarily the same thing.
22.73 -> Anyone can have a single isolated episode
25.42 -> of higher blood pressure,
27.01 -> but hypertension is chronically elevated blood pressures
30.452 -> that increase our risk for things like strokes,
33.55 -> heart attacks, heart failure, and kidney disease.
36.4 -> And depending on the guideline that you're using,
40.12 -> typically what we say hypertension is
42.16 -> is blood pressures greater than 130/80
45.15 -> millimeters of mercury.
49.92 -> There's many reasons why blood pressure can be elevated,
53.83 -> but the biggest factors that ultimately lead
57.15 -> to chronically elevated blood pressures
58.93 -> and hypertension include getting older.
61.35 -> Unfortunately, stiffening of the large arteries
64.43 -> in the body ultimately can result in higher blood pressures.
67.55 -> And then certain dietary factors like excess sodium
71.13 -> or salt intake can also play a role.
74.09 -> Extra weight, so obesity, particularly midline obesity,
78.18 -> so that beer belly, so to speak.
80.89 -> That can definitely contribute to high blood pressures.
83.92 -> And then there's clearly genetic predisposition
86.76 -> in certain individuals as well.
88.38 -> If you or family members had blood pressure issues early
91.53 -> in life, you're more likely to develop them
93.99 -> as you get older.
97.46 -> A question I'm often asked is
99.534 -> how do I know if I have high blood pressure?
101.64 -> What am I going to feel like?
103.169 -> The answer is the vast majority of people have no idea
106.28 -> that they have high blood pressure.
107.87 -> And that's why they call it the silent killer - hypertension.
111.17 -> So it's really important to get it checked regularly.
114.07 -> Now, if blood pressure elevates all of a sudden radically,
117.86 -> for whatever reason,
119.54 -> you may notice that you have a headache,
121.78 -> you feel more anxious,
123.73 -> but that is the minority of individuals.
125.93 -> The vast majority of people do not know that,
128.21 -> that I have high blood pressure.
131.51 -> Anxiety and stress can definitely cause elevations
134.48 -> in blood pressure.
135.62 -> Now, do these causes sustained elevations in blood pressure?
139.19 -> Not necessarily.
140.72 -> It's typically their impact on some of the lifestyle things
144.01 -> that can cause sustained elevations in blood pressure.
147.06 -> So, if job is stressful, home life is stressful
151.67 -> and you're not gonna make the right dietary choices.
153.87 -> You're not gonna be sleeping well.
155.32 -> You're going to consume excess of alcohol.
157.51 -> You may put on some weight,
158.9 -> all of that will ultimately raise blood pressure as well.
161.517 -> So anxiety and stress unto itself
162.867 -> will not necessarily elevate blood pressure long-term
168.19 -> unless it's having an impact on those lifestyle factors
172.33 -> like dietary indiscretion, etc.
177.81 -> Certain foods can definitely contribute
180.52 -> to elevations in blood pressure.
183.19 -> Far and away, the most common culprit
186.49 -> for increasing blood pressure
188.25 -> are foods that are high in sodium.
190.87 -> Sodium is a really quick and easy fix
193.98 -> that most people can make to their diet
195.97 -> to try and lower their blood pressures as much as possible.
198.6 -> Instituting a low sodium diet typically is worth about one
201.343 -> to two blood pressure medicines in the average individual.
205.79 -> And it's very important
207.82 -> that if you're taking blood pressure medicine
209.94 -> to focus on being on a low sodium diet, as well.
213.6 -> Oftentimes I'm asked, are there natural ways
216.7 -> to lower blood pressure or lifestyle interventions
218.89 -> that can be done?
219.82 -> And they're definitely can.
221.44 -> And it doesn't necessarily mean don't need medicines,
224.73 -> but lifestyle interventions are
226.51 -> about 70% of blood pressure management,
228.96 -> medications were only about 30% or so.
231.54 -> And the big ones that we think about
233.04 -> are eating a healthy diet, okay,
234.98 -> including a low sodium diet.
236.9 -> Losing weight and getting to really an ideal body weight.
239.97 -> Exercising regularly,
241.57 -> and being mindful of not consuming excess alcohol.
245.99 -> Those are the best interventions
247.41 -> that you can do to ultimately lower blood pressure.
251.19 -> Individuals with elevated blood pressure
254.06 -> or individuals with a new diagnosis of hypertension
257.27 -> or those that maybe have had hypertension for awhile,
259.68 -> but it just seems to be creeping up
261.55 -> and not under as good a control as they'd like,
264.4 -> they should definitely speak with their physician
266.26 -> about making adjustments to their medication regimen,
269.44 -> or really starting to focus on some
271.21 -> of those lifestyle factors.
272.8 -> Losing weight, getting more active, watching sodium.
275.57 -> Those are really the next best steps that need to be taken
279.2 -> to better control blood pressure.
281.02 -> Remember, controlling blood pressure is a long-term issue
284.35 -> to hopefully decrease your risk of strokes, heart attacks,
287.082 -> heart failure and kidney disease.
288.83 -> (upbeat music)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqLZhO06yeE