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Hypertension: Is It Time to Replace Drugs with Nutrition? (2014)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Re: Hypertension: Is It Time to Replace Drugs with Nutrition? (2014)

#4
Seems like there's an opportunity for a "Virta Health for hypertension". But, a reason Virta works so well is that you can measure blood ketones really easily, which gives a fairly binary signal of compliance. So - what's a signal for compliance with a hypertension-friendly diet that a clinician could measure remotely?

Re: Hypertension: Is It Time to Replace Drugs with Nutrition? (2014)

#5

The science is settled, pharmaceuticals are the only way.

Is this a sincere comment, or is there sarcasm that I am missing? I went from consistently-slightly-high to consistently-low BP by losing a little (~5% bf) weight and biking.

Re: Hypertension: Is It Time to Replace Drugs with Nutrition? (2014)

#7

The science is settled, pharmaceuticals are the only way.

Is this a sincere comment, or is there sarcasm that I am missing? I went from consistently-slightly-high to consistently-low BP by losing a little (~5% bf) weight and biking.

It seems sarcastic, just pushing the standard narrative of a lack of holistic care seen encouraged by most media

Re: Hypertension: Is It Time to Replace Drugs with Nutrition? (2014)

#8

The science is settled, pharmaceuticals are the only way.

Is this a sincere comment, or is there sarcasm that I am missing? I went from consistently-slightly-high to consistently-low BP by losing a little (~5% bf) weight and biking.

My dad has an incredibly strict diet and does intense exercise (running and biking) nearly everyday. However, he can only control his blood pressure with medication. Some people really do need medication to control their BP adequately.

Re: Hypertension: Is It Time to Replace Drugs with Nutrition? (2014)

#9
This shoots up so many red flags.

"Dr. Houston also cautioned that the role of supplements in hypertension has not yet been tested in clinical outcomes trials in the manner that conventional drugs have been assessed. So while there is an apparent role for supplements in treating hypertension, their ability to improve cardiovascular outcomes remains to be proven."

"Many natural compounds in food, as well as certain nutraceutical supplements, vitamins, antioxidants, or minerals, can mimic drugs, functioning in a similar fashion to a specific class of antihypertensive medications. However, they may be less potent and take longer to work than the antihypertensive drug."

And beyond supplements, diet/fitness changes are massively more difficult to implement than taking a medication.

There's no inherent reason to prefer more "natural" solutions to medical issues. It just sounds good. Put up clinical trials to give your hypothesis real standing.

Re: Hypertension: Is It Time to Replace Drugs with Nutrition? (2014)

#10

The science is settled, pharmaceuticals are the only way.

In case I am missing the sarcasm, I have to say this is nonsense. I have helped my autoimmune condition with a focused change in diet and exercise at least as much as the medication has. Chronic pain is not as well treated as it could be because we still, most of the time, only prescribe medication. Activation skills counseling (SMART goals), cognitive behavioral therapy, and guided meditation have all been shown to be effective at treating chronic pain.
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